“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 might deed there, apart from curing a few sick people by laying his hands on them. He was amazed at their lack of faith.” (Mark 6:4-6)
In today’s Gospel reading we hear about how those that Jesus preached to in Nazareth dismissed Him because of knowing His family and origins, with Nazareth being home for Him. While looking at this passage I had to ask myself: how often do I dismiss what Christ says?
I may think I know everything about Him, I have heard the teachings over and over, I have been a Christian my entire life, so therefore I just take His teachings for granted. Furthermore, when I take His teachings for granted I take Him for granted. Christ is a great gift to us – He is love, the Word, the Bread of Life, the Good Shepherd.
Rather than being lukewarm about my faith Christ has infinite teachings and love to reveal to us in every moment of every day. How do we get out of a rut of being lukewarm in our faith? According to the video series The Wild Goose by 4PM Media and Franciscan Pathways, hosted by Fr. Dave Pivonka, TOR, we can ask the Holy Spirit to breathe life into us whenever we need. Something that seems so basic is so profound and invites God into our lives right where we are at. Rather than shutting Him out and relying on our own understanding we submit to His greatness and the Spirit will open our eyes to Christ and all He has for us.
I challenge you to invite the Holy Spirit into your life. As Fr. Pivonka says in The Wild Goose ask the Holy Spirit to open your heart, for Jesus to enter the way He did for the disciples at Pentecost. God will answer your prayer.
Nathalie Shultz is a joyful convert to the Catholic faith and a competitive swimmer with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD). She loves to share her passion for Catholicism with others, including her conversion story and how God continues to work miracles in her life through her OCD. She is the Director of Religious Education for the North Allegan Catholic Collaborative of parishes. Nathalie is married to her best friend, Tommy Shultz. Her favorite saints include St. Peter the Apostle, St. Teresa of Calcutta, and St. John Paul II. She is also a huge fan of C.S. Lewis. If you have any questions for Nathalie, or just want her to pray for you, you can email her at rodzinkaministry@gmail.com.
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