Gospel: Mark 6: 1-6
Year B
Many who heard were astonished….
You have often been a target for interrogation for those who met You, Jesus …. and You will be again until the end of the world. Even Mary and Joseph asked questions about You … right from Your birth. Similarly at your presentation in the Temple (you were 40 days old!), they were astonished at what Simeon and Anna said of You (Luke 2:48). How often Your Apostles also were stunned by Your words and Your actions! After the storm on the lake they said among themselves: So Who is He? (Lk. 8:25). With good reason will the crowd often ask the same question!
Isn’t this the carpenter? ….
The question can lead to two opposing attitudes:
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faith like Mary who ponders these things in her heart (Lk. 2:51), like Peter at the announcement of the Eucharist; he hadn’t understood it any better than Your other teaching, but he responds: Where can we go? You have the message of eternal life (Jn. 6:68).
- incredulity, like the inhabitants of Nazareth: they only see You as the carpenter, Mary’s son, a man like others. They have their set ideas about You and they don’t want to change them.
To-day, people continue to raise questions about You, Lord. So Who is He?
Rid us of the pride which makes us think ourselves capable of understanding everything. Through your Spirit, come and stabilise our faith. Keep us open to You, and we will enter ever more deeply into Your Mystery.
He was astonished at their lack of faith ...
You suffered, Jesus, because of the refusal of Your fellow Nazarenes, but this did not stop You from pursuing Your mission: He went through all the villages teaching … Keep us from discouragement, in the face of the difficulties we can meet on our way following You.
