Gospel for July 7 2024 – Mark 6:1-6
Gospel Reflections for July 7 2024
Jesus and the USA
Today’s Gospel is the story of Our Lord’s return to His hometown of Nazareth, a place where everyone knew Him well.
Because they knew He was wise, He was invited to speak in the local synagogue on the famous passage from Isaiah that proclaims the saving actions of God for those in need (more fully told in Luke 4: 14-30).
It is a wonderful list of saving actions for anyone in trouble. The passage in Luke from this same event in Mark affirms God will bring liberty to captives, good news to the poor, recovery of sight to the blind, and set the oppressed free. Who would not want those wonderful goals?
The Jewish people, long oppressed by foreign rulers would have loved this saving message of God granting special favors. However …they believed they were only for them!
Amazingly, after Jesus finishes, the people seek his death! Why is that?
At the end of His speech Jesus recounts two miracles from the Old Testament where God performed miracles …for non-Jewish pagan people. That surprises them. To their amazement, Jesus affirms that God’s salvation is for all people …and not just the Jews! The Jewish people of Nazareth rose in anger because they felt God should only help them. They resented that people from other groups could receive God’s grace.
This is a perfect Gospel to hear the week that we celebrated our nation’s birth in 1776, where the blessings of liberty would one day be shared by all people no matter what group they were born into. Our nation was founded on the dignity of every citizen no matter where they were born or who they are. Of course, that freedom did not happen instantly.
The 1776 event began a long and sometimes painful process that would eventually bring freedom to everyone, including former slaves.
God’s gift of salvation comes to each of us, one person at a time, and never because we belong to any group, race, or ethnicity. No one can claim salvation except by your personal acceptance in faith and your personal choice of loving behavior.
This is a time in our nation when some people are claiming rights by group membership. (see my article on Critical Race Theory) Our nation and our Catholic faith are both founded on your personal responsibility before God and one another.
That is the true source of your salvation …and our nation’s prosperity.
God Bless!
Fr. Dave
Excellent explanation and insight as usual. Thanks Fr Dave. Happy 4th! Argyle
You are welcome!
Jesus truly came to bring Salvation to all . This set him apart from the thinking of the Chosen People and got him rejected. That was difficult for many to accept but fortunate for us. We who were once outsiders are now accepted and able to enjoy the Faith and the Benefits and Blessings that resulted.
The Group was enlarged to include every one with no exclusion. What a wonderful event to occur. Lord Help us to remember that as we proceed through life in these times. Help us to Love one another as Jesus taught us to do.
Thanks Father Dave for these Reminders.
Thank you for your insights as well.
Thank you Fr. Dave for a wonderful reflection on salvation history,
and how to live the truth of the Gospel.
You are welcome!
We are so Blessed that our loving God’s salvation is for all people!!! We must love one another as Jesus has loved us!!! What a beautiful world we would have!!! Let’s live Love!!! Jesus’ Love and transform our world in Loveeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!
loveeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee it!!!
Loveeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee, franca and Dick
Thank you1
Dear Father Dave,
Thank you for your excellent reflections on Sunday’s readings.
Jesus never took the easy road! He knew that what he was teaching his Jewish friends and extended family would upset them!
Irony and strength are more than apparent, they are paramount.
Christ!s lessons are as big as the Kingdom of Heaven. Perhaps our total understanding will come when we reach the next life!
God bless you.
Kathleen
P.S. Please say a prayer for me. I am having a heart procedure at Los Robles Hospital Friday morning.
Thank you for your reflections as well. Please be assured of my prayers for you this Friday.
Thank you.