St. Michael the Archangel Parish
Diocese of Corpus Christi
Mailing Address:
P O Box 9
Banquete, TX 78339
Physical Address:
4325 4th St
Banquete, TX 78339
Phone (361) 387-8371
Fax (361) 387-7607
FOURTEENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
July 5, 2009
Reading 1 Ezekiel 2:2-5
As the LORD spoke to me, the spirit entered into me and set me on my feet, and I heard the one who was speaking say to me: Son of man, I am sending you to the Israelites, rebels who have rebelled against me; they and their ancestors have revolted against me to this very day. Hard of face and obstinate of heart are they to whom I am sending you.
But you shall say to them: Thus says the LORD GOD!
And whether they heed or resist—for they are a rebellious house— they shall know that a prophet has been among them.
Jesus departed from there and came to his native place, accompanied by his disciples…..And they took offense at HIM [Jesus]. Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his native place and among his own kin and in his own house.” So he was not able to perform any mighty deed there, apart from curing a few sick people by laying his hands on them. He was amazed at their lack of faith.
The first reading is telling us that:
A- The people are being disobedient, proud, and they are not listening to God’s messengers, the prophets. Today’s ordained messengers are the Popes, Bishops, Priests and Deacons.)
B- God tells the messengers to preach the truth, even when the people are being disobedient.
The Second Reading shows us that we will have weaknesses, temptations and sufferings our whole lives. Jesus can use us when we are weak and full of insecurities. When a weak person does great things, people know that God did it, not the weak person. This reading ALSO tells us to be content with weakness, happy with weakness, because this is when Jesus uses us most.
The Gospel, like the first reading, focuses on the job and duty of God’s messenger. God tells Jesus to speak the truth, even though the people did not want to hear it, just like the people of the first reading did not want to hear it. Laity, TOO, must always preach the truth, orthodoxy, and obedience to the Magisterium.
There is the story about a bishop who was interviewing a senior seminarian before his ordination as deacon, and asked him where he would like to be assigned as a deacon for pastoral training. The seminarian said, somewhat boldly, “Oh, my bishop, anywhere but New Canaan!” “Why not there,” the bishop asked? “You know,” the seminarian answered, “That’s my hometown — and we all know that ‘a prophet is not without honor except in his native place.’” The bishop replied, “Don’t worry my friend! Nobody in your hometown is going to confuse you with a prophet.
Dear Catholic…. are you even TRYING to be God’s messenger? Failure to do so is a sin of omission!