"MY POWER IS MANIFESTED IN WEAKNESS."

"MY POWER IS MANIFESTED IN WEAKNESS."

Unbelief seems to be the main theme of today's gospel (Mark 6: 1-6), because although Jesus has already given many proofs of his wisdom and his healing power, these are those of his own people, those of his own family those who have doubts about Him. It seems that they do not know Jesus very well. It is possible that they have preconceived ideas about Jesus, and none of them contemplate the possibility that He is the expected messiah. Perhaps he will be a prophet? What is true is that Jesus intrigues those around him, but they must move from amazement to discipleship, if they really want to know who Jesus of Nazareth is.

It is surprising that Jesus did not manage to perform miracles in his own town, except for a few healings. But this was so for a simple reason, something that we have already meditated on before, faith is needed! Without faith placed in Jesus, many things will not be possible, among them the healing so desired by some.

In other biblical texts it is common for faith to appear as part of the experience of God. This is how we can see it in the book of the prophet Ezekiel, who, leaning on God, and serving Him with humility, allowed himself to be guided by the Spirit of God. Thus, he is sent before the people to speak on behalf of God, to remind the people of their infidelities. God makes Ezekiel his prophet among his people. In the same way we can discover in today's second reading from the Apostle Saint Paul that by serving God with humility, he can discover his own weaknesses, in which God acts his grace, so that his strength is God himself and not his own human strength. Unbelief must be overcome with a real experience of the person of Jesus. An experience that must be based on an approach to Jesus from humility, with the desire to learn from the Master; Thus, little by little our heart will go towards Jesus: this is loving Him, because He loves us; serving Him, because He chooses us and sends us; and living it, because our faith is in Him. Amen.

Fr. Carlos Flores, OSA