A prophet is not without honor except in his native place and among his own kin and in his own house. – Mark 6:4

       Home court advantage is a term in sports where the home team has a psychological advantage over their opponent because they’re playing in familiar facilities and in front of supportive fans. This was evident at the NBA Championship in 2014 when the San Antonio Spurs defeated their opponent, Miami Heat, in their home court. Their victory was even sweeter because their own people cheered and celebrated with them.

    In contrast to today’s Gospel, Jesus didn’t have a home court advantage. He wasn’t welcome in His own native place. He was rejected by His own people. And in some accounts of the Gospel, they belittled Him, saying He was only the son of a carpenter. Someone even said, “Can any good come from Nazareth?”

       With this story, Jesus teaches us to focus on our vision and mission even when challenges and disadvantages come our way. This includes rejection from those we expect to support us. When this happens, we should cast off rejection and move forward to pursue the will of God for us and for the benefit of others as well. Just like Jesus, let us continue to pursue the good fight even if we don’t have a home court advantage. After all, God is always on our side. JC Libiran (CoachJCLibiran@gmail.com)

Pope Francis Says: “Always know in your heart that God is by your side; He never abandons you!”

Lord, let me live my life not according to how the world tells me but  according to Your ways.

St. Blasé, bishop and martyr, pray for us.

David’s sin is that he trusted in his own strength rather than the Word of God. He sincerely repented and chose the punishment that made him fall into the hands of the Lord. David knows that God is merciful and loving, and for him it is much better to fall into God’s hands rather than those of his enemies.

2 King David said to Joab and the leaders of the army who were with him, “Tour all the tribes in Israel from Dan to Beer-sheba and register the people, that I may know their number.” 9 Joab then reported to the king the number of people registered: in Israel, eight hundred thousand men fit for military service; in Judah, five hundred thousand. 10 Afterward, however, David regretted having numbered the people, and said to the Lord: “I have sinned grievously in what I have done. But now, Lord, forgive the guilt of your servant, for I have been very foolish.” 11 When David rose in the morning, the Lord had spoken to the prophet Gad, David’s seer, saying: 12 “Go and say to David, ‘This is what the Lord says: I offer you three alternatives; choose one of them, and I will inflict it on you.’” 13 Gad then went to David to inform him. He asked: “Do you want a three years’ famine to come upon your land, or to flee from your enemy three months while he pursues you, or to have a three days’ pestilence in your land? Now consider and decide what I must reply to him who sent me.” 14 David answered Gad: “I am in very serious difficulty. Let us fall by the hand of God, for he is most merciful; but let me not fall by the hand of man.” 15 Thus David chose the pestilence. Now it was the time of the wheat harvest when the plague broke out among the people. The Lord then sent a pestilence over Israel from morning until the time appointed, and seventy thousand of the people from Dan to Beer-sheba died. 16 But when the angel stretched forth his hand toward Jerusalem to destroy it, the Lord regretted the calamity and said to the angel causing the destruction among the people, “Enough now! Stay your hand.” The angel of the Lord was then standing at the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite. 17 When David saw the angel who was striking the people, he said to the Lord: “It is I who have sinned; it is I, the shepherd, who have done wrong. But these are sheep; what have they done? Punish me and my kindred.”

Psalm 32: 1-2, 5, 6, 7

R: Lord, forgive the wrong I have done.

1 Blessed is he whose fault is taken away, whose sin is covered. 2 Blessed the man to whom the Lord imputes not guilt, in whose spirit there is no guile. (R) 5 Then I acknowledged my sin to you, my guilt I covered not. I said, “I confess my faults to the Lord,” and you took away the guilt of my sin. (R) 6 For this shall every faithful man pray to you in time of stress. Though deep waters overflow, they shall not reach him. (R) 7 You are my shelter; from distress you will preserve me; with glad cries of freedom you will ring me round. (R)

The people who know Jesus when He was just a boy marvel led at His wisdom and capacity to perform miracles. Even with this evidence, they still refused to believe that He is the Son of God. Sometimes the hardest people to convince about the Gospel are those who know us best. That was the challenge all prophets had to face. Let us pray for the grace to never give up sharing the Gospel to those we love the most.

My sheep hear my voice, says the Lord; I know them, and they follow me.

1 Jesus departed from there and came to his native place, accompanied by his disciples. 2 When the sabbath came he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were astonished. They said, “Where did this man get all this? What kind of wisdom has been given him? What mighty deeds are wrought by his hands! 3 Is he not the carpenter, the son of Mary, and the brother of James and Joseph and Judas and Simon? And are not his sisters here with us?” And they took offense at him. 4 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.” 5 So he was not able to perform any mighty deed there, apart from curing a few sick people by laying his hands on them. 6 He was amazed at their lack of faith.

think: Let us pray for the grace to never give up sharing the Gospel to those we love the most.

Thank You Lord for: __________________

STEPPING STONE OR TRIPPING STONE?

Familiarity, they say, breeds contempt. I do not fully subscribe to it, for there are cases I know where familiarity leads not to contempt, but towards full acceptance. Family members, for one, are very familiar with one another. They grow in unity, in affection, in concern for each other, and in mutual responsibility.

       The opposite of acceptance is rejection, and rejection of someone, whether familiar or not, is something that anyone can freely decide to do. Rejection, per se, is not a fruit of over-familiarity. It comes from dislike, from a certain bias against a person, or active hatred for that person.

       Today’s Gospel passage from Mark has a significant line: “And they took offense at Him.” From the context, it sounds almost like asking themselves, “How could He do such things when He is no different from the rest of us?” They were scandalized — that is, unable to go beyond their prejudgments and accept His teachings and actions. But there is an even sadder line: “He was not able to perform any mighty deed there.”

       A “skandalon” is a tripping stone, a block that stands in one’s way. It hampers one’s otherwise smooth journey. It prevents one from freely reaching his or her destination with ease, comfort and speed.           

       Preachers and public speakers like me know that audience sympathy contributes a lot to efficacy in their homilies or talks. People who only want entertainment will not find a serious homily or talk acceptable, while those who expect to hear what they want to hear will not find the topic interesting if it does not touch on what they expect.

       But we know the full story. The Lord fulfilled His mission despite the rejection. He did not just cure the sick by the laying on of hands. He actually laid down His life for you and me and them — yes, including those who did not accept Him. Instead of a tripping stone, the Lord became a stepping stone for us on our way to fullness of life and salvation. Fr. Chito Dimaranan, SDB

REFLECTION QUESTION: Are you a stepping stone or a tripping stone for someone you know?

Let me be a stepping stone to the people You bring into my life, Lord. Amen.