14th Sunday of Ordinary Time, Cycle B

Prayer 

Loving Father, You have given us the virtue of faith to follow Your Son. May we place our faith in Him alone and find, at the end of our journey on earth, a place with You in heaven. Grant this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Commentary

1st Reading: Ezekiel 2:2-5

How often do we hear people say, “I don’t see God in my life; I don’t hear God in my prayers; I don’t feel the presence of God?”

When we rely only on our five senses, we lack faith. We need to let our inner faith recognize God in our midst. If we do not tap into the virtue of faith, we begin to rebel. We have our melt downs.

The Prophet Ezekiel understood this when he was sent to the Israelites. He understood that they were “hard of face and obstinate of heart,” because they failed to recognize that he was a prophet of God sent to them.

The Israelites and all of humanity have been rebellious toward God since the beginning of time. We have always cried out to God to be with us. Yet, as we cry, we don’t open our eyes of faith to see that God has always been in our lives.

Even the most faithful among us can have moments of doubt. Yet, unless we practice our faith, we can find ourselves “hard of face and obstinate of heart.”

Question:

How do you practice your faith in order to avoid having a rebellious heart?

2nd Reading: 2 Cor 12:7-10

Saint Paul was granted the unique privilege of having a revelation of God. Recall his conversion on his way to Damascus. He and his companions heard the voice of Jesus, using their own sense of hearing. (Acts 9)

Paul recognized that all of his own disciples had not enjoyed the same revelation. Yet, they came to believe based on his testimony and his proclamation of the Good News. In essence, his own students had to rely strictly on faith and not with their senses.

Paul acknowledges that the revelation of Christ at Damascus is nothing to keep him elated. Rather, he understands that the Lord’s “grace is sufficient.” Whether we see the Lord with our physical senses or by strict faith alone, “his grace is sufficient.”

It is the grace of Christ that gives us the strength to carry our cross and stay on his mission. Whether or not we see him, feel him, or hear him, we know that he is still with us.

Question:

How has the grace of Christ been sufficient for you?

Gospel: Mark 6:1-6

In our First Reading, Ezekiel was not recognized as a prophet of God. In the Gospel, Jesus, is not recognized either.

The people of His town know of his origins. They know his family and his relatives. Yet, they see only with their senses. Their knowledge of Jesus is derived from  sense-experience.

They recognized that He had great wisdom and He was able to cure some sick, but they were astonished because they “knew” from where He came. Though they were “astonished,” Jesus was “amazed.” As we read, “He was amazed at their lack of faith.”

Over these past four weeks, we have been reflecting on the virtue of faith. Perhaps it is time to take an account of our own faith in Christ.

Rather than relying on empirical evidence (knowledge through our senses), we need to place our faith in the Lord.

Question:

How do you honor the Christ the True Prophet even when you do not feel His presence?

This Week’s Task 

These useful sports habits will help you to practice your faith:

Teamwork: Dedicate yourself to regular group studies or reflections using Christ In Our Neighborhood or other programs.

Get to the field early: Be proactive in your prayer life and avoid being reactive.

Find a coach: Seek a prayer partner or find a spiritual director to help you on your faith journey.

Group Prayer

The group offers the following prayer:

Lord, make me a faithful, zealous apostle of your Church and grant me the grace that will enable me to proclaim your saving message to the brothers and sisters I meet on my journey today. May I live my Catholic faith with such evident conviction and share it with such ardent zeal that I become a fruitful and effective fisher of souls for the Kingdom. Amen.

The prayer continues with Psalm 30.

Psalm 

Response: I will praise you, Lord, for you have rescued me.

I will extol you, O LORD,

for you drew me clear

and did not let my enemies rejoice over me.

O LORD, you brought me up from the netherworld;

you preserved me from among those going down into the pit.

R. I will praise you, Lord, for you have rescued me.

Sing praise to the LORD, you his faithful ones,

and give thanks to his holy name.

For his anger lasts but a moment; a lifetime, his good will.

At nightfall, weeping enters in,

but with the dawn, rejoicing.

R. I will praise you, Lord, for you have rescued me.

Hear, O LORD, and have pity on me;

O LORD, be my helper.

You changed my mourning into dancing;

O LORD, my God, forever will I give you thanks.

R. I will praise you, Lord, for you have rescued me.

Conclude with an Our Father

Used with permission. All rights reserved. Christ in Our Neighborhood is a Scripture program designed by Bishop John P. Dolan of the Diocese of Phoenix.