In today’s Gospel we hear of Jesus returning to His native place and preaching in the synagogues. Those he encounters, however, doubt and question Him. Mark recounts that “…he was not able to perform any mighty deed there…” and “He was amazed at their lack of faith.” Jesus’ inability to perform any mighty deeds is not a testament to His lack of power or strength, rather it is a testament to the peoples’ weakness and lack of faith. The miracles Jesus performed, be they small or big, were not just His way of proving that He is the Messiah that was sent to heal us of our sins. They were also proof of the faith of those who believed in Him.
The Second Reading stands in contrast to the Gospel in that St. Paul shows tremendous faith whereas the people of Jesus’ native place show a tremendous lack of faith. In St. Paul’s letter to the Corinthians, he writes “…I am content with weakness, insults, hardship, persecutions, and constraints, for the sake of Christ; for when I am weak, then I am strong.” I think this can be a difficult passage to understand and to digest. St. Paul turns his suffering, the thorn in his flesh, into a means for praising God! He sees his suffering as an opportunity to take refuge in God and His strength. It is Paul’s faith in Christ that allows him to be content with weakness and persecutions.
It’s easy to read these two readings and recognize that Paul is the one to whom we should look as an example of faith. But how often do we reject Christ in our own lives? How often do we expect Him to perform great miracles in our lives but do not have the faith that He actually can or will? How often do we grow angry at God when we suffer rather than recognizing our suffering as an opportunity to unite our suffering with His?
May we be like St. Paul who, in his suffering, turned to God in humble prayer and allowed the strength of Christ to work through his weakness.
Dakota currently lives in Denver, CO and teaches English Language Development and Spanish to high schoolers. She is married to the love of her life, Ralph. In her spare time, she reads, goes to breweries, and watches baseball. Dakota’s favorite saints are St. John Paul II (how could it not be?) and St. José Luis Sánchez del Río. She is passionate about her faith and considers herself blessed at any opportunity to share that faith with others. Check out more of her writing at https://dakotaleonard16.blogspot.com.
Feature Image Credit: Yael Portabales, https://www.cathopic.com/photo/2845-estatua-san-pablo-extramuros
Susan Ciancio has a BA in psychology and a BA in sociology from the University of Notre Dame, with an MA in liberal studies from Indiana University. For the past 17 years, she has worked as a professional editor and writer, editing both fiction and nonfiction books, magazine articles, blogs, educational lessons, professional materials and website content. Eleven of those years have been in the pro-life sector. Currently Susan freelances and writes weekly for HLI, edits for American Life League, and is the editor of Celebrate Life Magazine. She also serves as executive editor for the Culture of Life Studies Program-an educational nonprofit program for K-12 students.
Kathryn James Hermes, FSP, is the author of the newly released title
David Dashiell is a freelance writer, editor, and proofreader based in the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania area. His writing has been featured in Crisis Magazine and The Imaginative Conservative, and his editing is done for a variety of publishers, such as Sophia Institute and Scepter. He can be reached at 
Perpetua Phelps is a high school student residing in West Michigan and is the second of four children. Apart from homeschooling, Perpetua enjoys volunteering at her church, attending retreats, studying Latin and French, and reading classics such as Beowulf, The Lord of the Rings, C.S. Lewis’ Space Trilogy, and Mark Twain’s Joan of Arc. She also spends much time writing novels, essays, and poetry for fun and competition. A passionate Tolkien fan, Perpetua is a founding member of a Tolkien podcast.
Deacon Dan Schneider is a retired general manager of industrial distributors. He and his wife Vicki recently celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary. They are the parents of eight children and twenty-nine grandchildren. He has a degree in Family Life Education from Spring Arbor University. He was ordained a Permanent Deacon in 2002. He has a passion for working with engaged and married couples and his main ministry has been preparing couples for marriage.
Sheryl O’Connor delights in being the number 1 cheerleader and supporter for her husband, Tom who is a candidate for the Permanent Diaconate in the Diocese of Kalamazoo. They are so grateful for the opportunity to grow together in this process whether it is studying for classes, deepening their prayer life or discovering new ways to serve together. Sheryl’s day job is serving her community as the principal for St. Therese Catholic School in Wayland, Michigan. Since every time she thinks she gets life all figured out, she realizes just how far she has to go, St. Rita of Cascia is her go-to Saint for intercession and help. Home includes Brea, a Bernese Mountain dog and Carlyn, a very, very goofy Golden Retriever.
Merridith Frediani’s perfect day includes prayer, writing, unrushed morning coffee, reading, tending to dahlias, and playing Sheepshead with her husband and three kids. She loves finding God in the silly and ordinary. She writes for Ascension Press, Catholic Mom, and her local Catholic Herald in Milwaukee. Her first book Draw Close to Jesus: A Woman’s Guide to Eucharistic Adoration is expected to be released summer 2021. You can reach her at 
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