The associated reading for this reflection can be found in your Every Sacred Sunday Mass journal or online here.
Working as a counselor at a non-profit, I spoke at length with “them”: people who felt like they were on the outside, abandoned by God and the rest of the world. Individuals whose stories pastors and parents would use as cautionary tales; whose personal struggles and demons become the butt of jokes in “select” companies.
It can be so easy as Christians, especially as Catholics, to bask in the ‘rightness’ of our beliefs and revel in the wrongness of the other. I’ve even seen it in myself, in discussions where I find myself wanting others to know how wrong they are- not out of charity, but out of pride.
In today’s Gospel, we see the crowd quickly turn on Jesus: they begin ‘amazed at His gracious words’ and end up running Him out of town. Jesus begins by suggesting the idea that He might do great works in their midst- and instead shares stories of when grace was given to those on the fringes of society.
I can imagine why the Nazarenes felt furious. They felt as though they were being denied their birthright, and it was squandered on ‘lesser’ ones. It must have been hard to accept that Jesus’ words were not just for the Jews, but for the Gentiles too. They forgot, or perhaps never knew, why we need a Savior. They wanted a savior who would crush their enemies, and got one who invited them to love them instead.
I am reminded of J.R.R. Tolkein’s character Faramir in “The Lord of the Rings” who says: “I do not love the bright sword for its sharpness, nor the arrow for its swiftness, nor the warrior for his glory. I love only that which they defend.”
I often have to check myself by asking: what is it that I love? Do I love being right or feeling special for believing? Or do I love those for whom the truth was given to bring joy and freedom in the first place?
Lord, help me to deeply know that I am loved. Give me the grace to know and accept that your love is big enough for those I dislike, and with your help, let me be an instrument of that Love to them.
Regina Gray, LPC-A works as a mental health counselor in Austin, TX. She specializes in working with survivors of trauma and abuse, utilizing art and creative interventions to help her clients process their experiences. Regina and her husband are avid Survivor fans, and when not watching a new season, they can be found hiking, playing board games, or finding new places to eat!