holy saints of God

by

Monday, 19 August 2024 : 20th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. John Eudes, Priest (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Priests)

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we listened to the words of the Scriptures, all of us are reminded that in following God, we have to be truly sincere in doing so, and that we may have to encounter a lot of challenges, hardships and difficulties amidst our journey towards the Lord, and we may have to make sacrifices and persevere through whatever it is that we may have to endure in our journey towards God’s grace and salvation. The Lord has always been kind towards us and He has always shown His great patience, in continuing to love us all despite the stubborn attitudes that we had shown Him all these while. God has loved us from the beginning, and He has always helped us throughout the way, showing us the means through which we may find the surest path to His salvation, by entrusting to us His Law and commandments.

In our first reading today, we heard from the Book of the prophet Ezekiel in which the Lord told His prophet to speak to the community of the Israelite exiles in Babylon and elsewhere, telling them how each and every one of them should always put their faith and trust in the Lord, and sin against Him no more, for all the sins which they and their ancestors had committed would lead them all to ruin and destruction, because of the many temptations that this world has offered them, and which kept them away from the path towards God and His grace. At that time, the remnants of Israel in the kingdom of Judah where Ezekiel hailed from was in the last days of its existence, as the Babylonians were about to conquer them and eradicate them from existence, destroying their city of Jerusalem and its Temple.

Through what we have heard, we are reminded that if we choose to walk the path of sin and evil, through our disobedience against God and by embracing the temptations of worldly desires and greed, we are likely to end up in ultimate defeat, regret and destruction, just as the Israelites themselves had suffered, and just as how the Lord showed it through the examples of the misfortunes faced by His prophet Ezekiel. We must not allow the temptations and wickedness of this world from swaying us down the wrong path, and as Christians, we should remind ourselves that we have to follow what the Lord Himself has revealed and taught to us, His Law and commandments, through His Church, and because we are His people, it is important that we should live in accordance to God’s ways, at all times.

Then, in our Gospel passage today, we heard a related passage about the Lord Who was speaking to a young man who asked Him about how he could attain eternal life, and the young man also mentioned how he had been obeying and following the Law, the commandments of the Lord, in all of its many precepts and rules. However, when the Lord then asked the young man to sell everything that he possessed, leaving behind all worldly matters and glory, the young man left in sadness. This showed how despite everything that the young man had done in obeying the Law and commandments of God, he has not yet put the Lord at the very centre and as the first priority of his life. His love and attachment for those wealth and possessions was preventing him from truly being able to commit himself thoroughly as a disciple of the Lord.

Brothers and sisters, this does not mean that the Lord is asking us to leave behind all of our properties, wealth and earthly treasures. Rather, this is an important reminder for us that we do not end up getting so caught up and obsessed by those things that we end up getting too attached and preoccupied by them which may end up distracting our true focus and path in life, in serving the Lord wholeheartedly all of our whole lives. Those blessings, possessions and things which we have received should serve as means for us to make them for good use in empowering those around us and also helping all those who may be less fortunate and not as blessed as we all are. We should not use them for our own selfish benefits and gains, and we should also not be obsessed in trying to get more of them.

Today, the Church celebrates the memory of a great saint, whose feast day we commemorate today, namely that of St. John Eudes, a holy priest and servant of God. St. John Eudes was born in France about four centuries ago and he devoted himself to the Lord since a rather early age, committing himself to a chaste life before embarking on formation first under the Jesuits and then the Oratorians through which he grew stronger in his devotion and commitment to the Lord through a strong personal and spiritual relationship with Him. And as a priest, St. John Eudes was well known for his dedication to his work as a priest, ministering to the people of God and administering the sacraments to them, caring for the sick, the poor and the dying among other things.

St. John Eudes was a renowned preacher who has went on many missions to reach out to more and more of God’s people, calling on them all to return to Him, and he was also involved in establishing seminaries and institutions meant to help in the upbringing and formation of priests like seminaries and other related establishments to help improve the formation and spiritual quality of priests that he found quite lacking at the time. St. John Eudes also founded several religious congregations, one of which is the Order of Our Lady of Charity of the Refuge dedicated to help those prostitutes and former prostitutes who sought to live a new life of grace and penance in atonement for their past sins and way of life. He also established the Eudists, a congregation dedicated to education of priests and parish missions, something that he had done all his life. St. John Eudes truly committed himself wholeheartedly to the Lord, and we should follow in his footsteps.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all therefore reflect upon what we have just discussed from the readings of the Scriptures and from the life and missions of St. John Eudes, the holy man of God. Let us all do our own part in living our lives worthily of the Lord, by doing whatever we can in each and every moments of our lives to carry out what God had told us to do, and to follow Him wholeheartedly in all things just as we have heard from our Scripture readings today. We should always put the Lord at the centre and at the very heart of our every actions and works, in every moments of our lives and in our every interactions with one another. It is by doing all these that we are truly able to live a worthy, Christ-like life, and we can do what God has called us to do. Let our lives be truly filled with God’s grace and love in all things, and may we all be the worthy bearers of His light and truth, and may we inspire many others to walk in the same path that we have walked ourselves in our journey towards God. Amen.

by

Monday, 19 August 2024 : 20th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. John Eudes, Priest (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Priests)

Matthew 19 : 16-22

At that time, it was then, that a young man approached Him and asked, “Master, what good work must I do to receive eternal life?” Jesus answered, “Why do you ask Me about what is good? One, only, is good. If you want to enter eternal life, keep the commandments.”

The young man said, “Which commandments?” Jesus replied, “Do not kill; do not commit adultery; do not steal; do not bear false witness; honour your father and mother. And love your neighbour as yourself.” The young man said to Him, “I have kept all these commandments. What do I still lack?”

Jesus answered, “If you wish to be perfect, go, sell all that you possess, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come back and follow Me.” On hearing this, the young man went away sad, for he was a man of great wealth.

by

Monday, 19 August 2024 : 20th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. John Eudes, Priest (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Priests)

Deuteronomy 32 : 18-19, 20, 21

They have disowned the Rock Who fathered them; they have forgotten the God Who gave them birth. The Lord saw this, and in His anger rejected His sons and daughters.

He said, “I will hide My face from them and see what will become of them. They are so perverse, so unfaithful!”

“They made Me jealous with their false gods and angered Me with their idols. I will, therefore, make them envious of a foolish people, I will provoke them to anger with an empty-headed nation.”

by

Monday, 19 August 2024 : 20th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. John Eudes, Priest (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Priests)

Ezekiel 24 : 15-24

The word of YHVH came to me in these terms, “Son of man, I am about to suddenly take from you the delight of your eyes, but you are not to lament or weep or to let your tears flow. Groan in silence and do not mourn for the dead; wear your turban, put on your sandals, do not cover your beard or eat the customary food of mourners.”

I spoke to the people in the morning and my wife died that evening. The next morning I did as I had been commanded. Then the people said to me : “Explain to us the meaning of your actions.” I said to them, “The word of YHVH came to me in these terms : ‘Say to Israel : I am about to profane My Sanctuary, your pride, the delight of your eyes for which you long.’”

“‘The sons and daughters you left behind will also fall by the sword, but you will do as I have done : you will not cover your beard or eat the customary food of mourners; you will keep your turbans on your heads and sandals on your feet. You will not lament or weep. Instead, because of your sin, you will waste away and groan among yourselves. Ezekiel will be a sign for you. Do as he did : and when this happens, you will know that I am YHVH.’”

by

Wednesday, 7 August 2024 : 18th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of Pope St. Sixtus II, Pope and Martyr, and Companions, Martyrs, and St. Cajetan, Priest (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green or Red (Martyrs) or White (Priests)

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, on this day as we all listened to the words of the Scriptures, we are all reminded of the love of God which He generously ever poured down upon us, showing us His mercy, love and compassion, just as we have often been reminded of. At the same time, we are also reminded to seek the Lord and His mercy, His forgiveness and love, just as how the Syro-Phoenician woman had done in our Gospel passage today, that our sincere and strong desire to seek the Lord, to find His love, mercy and compassion shall liberate us from the bondage of our wickedness and sins, and deliver us into a renewed life blessed and strengthen by God and His grace. God has always loved and been kind to us, and He has also always been full of mercy and forgiveness for us, but we have to be cooperative with Him, allowing Him to come to us, to transform our lives for the better.

In our first reading today, we heard from the Book of the prophet Jeremiah, in which God would restore His people, the Israelites once again, to be His blessed and beloved people, restored and empowered, saved and liberated from their troubles just as He had done for them many times previously. These words of the Lord which He spoke to His people, the remnants of the Israelites living in the kingdom of Judah, would indeed come true in the upcoming decades. And these came after the Lord has spoken of all the misfortunes, destructions and hardships that they all would have to encounter in their path, as they had disobeyed Him and disregarded His Law, His commandments and precepts, and thus, they would have to endure the consequences of their actions. This showed us all that God truly loves each and every one of His people, but He does not condone their actions.

As a loving Creator and Father to His people, as their Lord, Master and King, God has always cared for them all as He has constantly shown throughout history and as recorded in the Old Testament, but at the same time, as a just and holy God, as mentioned, He does not condone their sinfulness, wicked actions and deeds that are contrary to the way and the teachings which He had passed on to them. He does not want any one of them to be swayed into the wicked path in life, into the path of darkness from which there could be no escape or hope. That was why God chastised His people, punishing them and correcting them but with the ultimate intent of leading them all towards Himself and restoring them to the state of grace together with Him. God does not desire our destruction, as it was us who have willingly chosen to reject His salvation and grace.

God remembers the Covenant which He had made and established with His people, and through Jeremiah, He wanted to remind them with all of that, that while He abhorred their sins and wickedness, but He still wanted them all to return to Him and to repent from their many sins and evils before it was too late for them. That is why, it is also a very important reminder for all of us that we should not take God’s love, compassion and mercy for granted. God has always been very patient with us, but at the same time, we must realise that if we continue to resist Him and refuse His love and kindness, it may come to pass that it ends up too late for us to accept God’s favour, love and mercy, and when it is too late for us, it is by all those sins and wickedness that we shall be judged by, and we shall be condemned by all those wicked and evil attitudes which we have carried out in our lives.

Then, in our Gospel passage today, taken from the Gospel according to St. Matthew, as mentioned earlier we heard of the interactions between the Lord Jesus and a Syro-Phoenician woman who had come to seek His help with regards to her very sick daughter. The Syro-Phoenician region was outside the lands where the Israelites lived in, and at that time, that region was also not where the descendants of the Israelites lived in, and therefore the Syro-Phoenician woman in the reckoning of the Jews would be considered as an outsider and a pagan. And for many among the Jews, the Syro-Phoenician like the other Gentiles were considered unworthy and unclean, and it was often taboo for a Jew like the Lord Jesus Himself to mingle and interact with the non-Jews like the Syro-Phoenician woman. Not only that, but the Jews at that time also had a rather exclusive and elitist view of themselves as God’s chosen people, and looking down on others who did not believe in God as they did.

Thus, when the Lord seemingly mocked the woman and was being rude in replying harshly to her by stating that He was only sent to the people of Israel and that the food should not be given to the dogs, it was a representation of the folly of the prejudices shown by the Israelites and their descendants against those others whom they had deemed to be inferior and less worthy than them as God’s disciples and followers. But the Lord showed His disciples and others, including all of us that even among the non-Israelites, there could be great and wonderful faith too. The Syro-Phoenician woman ignored the insults and kept on asking the Lord with great faith, even humbling herself, saying that even the dogs gained the scraps of food from the table. This is a representation of just how one with great faith shall be blessed by God, and God’s love is in truth, for everyone, and not just for any particular group of people. All of us, regardless of race, background or origin, have all been called and chosen by God to be His beloved people.

Today, the Church also celebrates the feast of two great saints and holy men of God, whose lives and dedications to God can serve as great role models and inspirations for each and every one of us in how we should live our own lives as Christians. Pope St. Sixtus II and St. Cajetan both had lived truly virtuous and worthy lives that have shown us all what it truly means to be true and genuine, faithful and committed Christians, as God’s holy and committed disciples and followers. They have lived their lives with great faith in their own unique ways, that even when they faced difficulties and challenges, they continued to persevere on in trusting in the Lord and in being faithful to Him. They did not let the hardships, oppositions and all the other obstacles they encountered to dissuade them from their efforts and good works for the sake of the Lord and for His people.

Pope St. Sixtus II was one of the important and influential leaders of the early Church, who has dedicated himself as the Pope and thus as leader of the whole Universal Church, to lead the faithful and the Church through turbulent and difficult times. He led the Church through a time of challenges and divisions, as there was a particularly divisive Novatian heresy that happened just prior to his pontificate, which caused divisions in the Roman Church, and also in relationships with the Church in Africa and in the Eastern parts of the Roman Empire. Pope St. Sixtus II dedicated himself to heal the rifts and divisions in the Church, while at the same time, he also led the Church through the difficult times of persecutions and oppressions by the Roman state. It was during one of these oppressions, during the reign of Emperor Valerian that Pope St. Sixtus II was martyred. He remained firm in his faith and commitment to God, to the very end.

Meanwhile, St. Cajetan was an Italian priest who lived and ministered to the Church and the people of God during the Renaissance period, at the time when there were lots of challenges facing the Christian faithful, both from the corruption within the clergy and laity alike, and when the moral and spiritual standards of the people of God were waning. St. Cajetan committed himself thoroughly to minister to the people of God, devoting himself to reach out to those who have been lost from the Lord, calling upon them to return to Him. He established a congregation named the Theatines, gathering those who wished to follow the Lord’s call and serve the people of God, particularly those who were poor and less privileged. Through his efforts and works, St. Cajetan impacted the lives of many and brought many ever closer to God and helped them to come to God’s salvation and grace.

Therefore, brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all remind ourselves that we all should have strong and genuine faith in the Lord, devoting our time and effort to follow Him wholeheartedly. Let us all continue to follow in the good examples and in the footsteps of our holy predecessors, like that of Pope St. Sixtus II and St. Cajetan. Let us all continue to walk in the path which the Lord has shown us, and continue to show our love for God and for our fellow brethren, in all and every one of our actions, words and deeds in life, now and always. May God be with us all, and may He empower us in faith, now and always. Amen.

by

Wednesday, 7 August 2024 : 18th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of Pope St. Sixtus II, Pope and Martyr, and Companions, Martyrs, and St. Cajetan, Priest (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green or Red (Martyrs) or White (Priests)

Matthew 15 : 21-28

At that time, leaving that area, Jesus withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon. A Canaanite woman from the area, came and cried out, “Lord, Son of David, have pity on me! My daughter is tormented by a demon.”

But Jesus did not answer her, not even a word. So His disciples approached Him and said, “Send her away! See how she is shouting after us.” Then Jesus said to her, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the nation of Israel.”

But the woman was already kneeling before Jesus, and said, “Sir, help me!” Jesus answered, “It is not right to take the bread from the children and throw it to puppies.”

The woman replied, “That is true, Sir, but even puppies eat the crumbs which fall from their master’s table.” Then Jesus said, “Woman, how great is your faith! Let it be as you wish.” And her daughter was healed at that moment.

by

Wednesday, 7 August 2024 : 18th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of Pope St. Sixtus II, Pope and Martyr, and Companions, Martyrs, and St. Cajetan, Priest (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Green or Red (Martyrs) or White (Priests)

Jeremiah 31 : 10, 11-12ab, 13

Hear the word of YHVH, o nations, proclaim it on distant coastlands : He Who scattered Israel will gather them and guard them as a shepherd guard his flock.

For YHVH has ransomed Jacob and redeemed him from the hand of his conqueror. They shall come shouting for joy, while ascending Zion; they will come streaming to YHVH’s blessings.

Maidens will make merry and dance, young men and old as well. I will turn their mourning into gladness, I will give them comfort and joy for sorrow.

by

Wednesday, 7 August 2024 : 18th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of Pope St. Sixtus II, Pope and Martyr, and Companions, Martyrs, and St. Cajetan, Priest (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green or Red (Martyrs) or White (Priests)

Jeremiah 31 : 1-7

YHVH declares that when that time comes He will be the God of all the families of Israel, and they will be His people. Thus says YHVH : The people who survived the sword have found grace in the desert. As Israel was seeking for his rest YHVH appeared from afar saying, I have loved you with a love everlasting, so I have kept for you My mercy. I will restore you again, and you shall be rebuilt, o virgin Israel!”

“You will take up your tambourines and go out dancing joyfully. You will plant vineyards again on the hills of Samaria, and the farmers who plant them will enjoy their fruit. There shall be a day when watchmen will call out on the hills of Ephraim, “Come, let us go to Zion, to YHVH our God!”

For YHVH says this, “Shout with joy for Jacob; rejoice for the greatest of nations. Proclaim your praise and say : ‘YHVH has saved His people, the remnant of Israel!’”

by

Friday, 2 August 2024 : 17th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Eusebius of Vercelli, Bishop, and St. Peter Julian Eymard, Priest (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Bishops or Priests)

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, as we listened through the readings of the Sacred Scriptures that we have received today, we are all reminded that we must not be like those hypocrites and our fallen predecessors who have not truly dedicated and committed themselves to the Lord as they should have done. We must be truly faithful and humble in what we do in our lives so that we do not end up falling into temptations of pride, ego and human ambitions, and all other things that may prevent and distract us from finding the true path towards the Lord and His salvation. We must learn to listen to the Lord speaking to us in each and every moments of our lives, heeding His words which He has spoken to us in the depth of our hearts and minds.

In our first reading today, we heard from the Book of the prophet Jeremiah in which the account of the works of Jeremiah amongst the people of the kingdom of Judah is highlighted to us. The prophet Jeremiah was sent by God to His people living in Judah, the southern half of the once united kingdom of Israel. Back then, at that time, the northern half of the kingdom, also known as Israel, had been destroyed and conquered by their enemies, the Assyrians, which destroyed not just their towns and homes, but also uprooted and forcibly moving many of them far away from their ancestral lands, bringing them into exile in distant and far-off lands of Mesopotamia and Assyria. It is this same exact fate which would soon befall the kingdom and people of Judah as well.

Thus, the Lord told Jeremiah to go up to the Temple, the Holy House of God which had been built and established by King Solomon of Israel to be the great and worthy House where God Himself would dwell among His people. However, people of Judah had also disobeyed the Lord and refused to follow and obey His Law and commandments truthfully and wholeheartedly. They allowed themselves to be tempted and swayed by the temptations of the evil ones, and they did not offer their sacrifices and offerings with hearts and minds that were truly focused and centred on God. Instead, they also worshipped other pagan idols and false gods, corrupting the Temple and the worship of God with their attitude and actions. For all those things God therefore chastised them and wanted them to realise that they had to be responsible for their choice of actions in life.

Then in the Gospel passage today taken from the Gospel according to St. Matthew where we heard of the time when the Lord Jesus went back to Nazareth, to His own hometown where He grew up in. The people of that town refused to believe in the Lord and even openly doubted Him, quoting how He was merely the Son of the village carpenter, namely St. Joseph, the foster father of the Lord. This means that they belittled the Lord and thought that it was impossible for someone of such a humble and lowly stature and status in the society to have been given the power and wisdom as they had heard about the Lord. At that time, as is also often throughout history, jobs like that of a carpenter, while truly essential and important for the community, it was also one that is often looked down upon and be prejudiced against.

Essentially, the people of Nazareth thought that they knew it better, and in their pride, they closed their hearts and minds against the Lord, refusing to listen to Him and to believe in Him despite everything that they themselves might have witnessed, seen and heard, from all the signs and wonders that the Lord Jesus had performed in their midst and in the regions surrounding Nazareth. This was in fact the same attitude shown by the people of Judah at the time of the prophet Jeremiah, in refusing to believe in this prophet of God, preferring to dwell in their own denial and thoughts that what the prophet Jeremiah had told and forewarned them could not have come to reality. It was too late for many of them by the time they realised that Jeremiah was speaking the truth.

This is also a reminder for all of us as God’s followers and disciples that in the course of our lives as Christians and in the midst of our faithful living of our respective missions and works, our everyday living as the faithful and holy people of God we may encounter challenges and difficulties in our journey of faith and life, especially from those who refuse to believe in the Lord and His truth, and also those who have allowed their pride and ego to cloud their thoughts and minds, their judgments and ways. It is also a reminder for us therefore not to be distracted by these same temptations either. We should always keep in mind that we are all called to holy and worthy lives that are truly reflecting our beliefs in the Lord, at all times, and we should be good role models and examples for our fellow brethren as well.

Today, the Church also celebrates the feast of two great saints, whose life and faith in God should serve as good examples and inspiration for every one of us in how we should live our own lives as Christians, namely that of St. Eusebius of Vercelli, a holy bishop that was one of the great early Church fathers during the time when Christianity was emancipated from its persecutions under the Roman Empire, as well as St. Peter Julian Eymard, a courageous and holy priest who founded two religious institutes and popularised the devotion to the Blessed Sacrament, to the Real Presence of the Lord in the Eucharist. Each one of them are great inspirations and role models for us all in their own respective ways, showing us what we should do as Christians in each and every moments of our own lives.

St. Eusebius of Vercelli was the Bishop of Vercelli during the time when Christianity had no longer been persecuted by the Roman state, and became increasingly widespread throughout the Empire. He was born in Sardinia, and eventually was elected as the Bishop of Vercelli by the local populace as was the common custom at the time because of his great piety and exemplary life, which according to the tradition of his life led him to be elected instead of the local members of the clergy. He founded a priestly community that lived together and supporting each other, living with great example of piety and faith in God. He was also well remembered for his great stand for his faith in the Lord, in opposing the heretics and all those who sided with them like the Arians and other heresies of the time.

St. Eusebius was even persecuted and made to suffer for this great faith he had in the Lord, refusing to condemn his fellow bishop, the holy and committed St. Athanasius of Alexandria who also stood by the orthodox and true Christian faith against the heretics. St. Eusebius was even dragged through the streets amidst one of these persecutions, but all these things could not dampen his courage and enthusiasm in serving the Lord and proclaiming His truth among the people of God. He also worked hard in trying to bring about reconciliation and reunion between those who been separated and torn apart by all the divisions caused by the heresies of that time. He continued to minister to his flock faithfully and devotedly to the end of his life.

Meanwhile, St. Peter Julian Eymard as mentioned was a priest that helped to spread the popular devotions to the Blessed Sacrament, the Real Presence of Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ in the Most Holy Eucharist. Most Holy Eucharist. He was born in the French Alps region and had been known for his intense devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God since very early on in his life. And after he entered the seminary and eventually becoming a priest, he grew ever stronger in his dedication to the Blessed Sacrament, and eventually leading to him establishing two congregations closely related to the Blessed Sacrament in their charism and works, namely the Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament and the Servants of the Blessed Sacrament for men and women respectively, spreading the devotion and love for the Lord in the Eucharist to many more people, helping many of them on the way to the salvation in God.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, as we have heard from our Scripture passages today and from the courageous and faithful lives of God’s holy servants, our predecessors, St. Eusebius of Vercelli and St. Peter Julian Eymard, let us all therefore do our part to continue living our lives with great faith and commitment to God. We should be inspired by the great examples of those who have gone before us, especially during times when we may be facing lots of challenges and difficulties in our journey as Christians, as God’s holy and faithful people. Let us all never be discouraged and disheartened by the persecutions and trials we may have to endure in our lives as the faithful disciples of the Lord. May God continue to bless and strengthen us all in our every moments in life, now and always. Amen.

by

Friday, 2 August 2024 : 17th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Eusebius of Vercelli, Bishop, and St. Peter Julian Eymard, Priest (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Bishops or Priests)

Matthew 13 : 54-58

At that time, Jesus went to His hometown and taught the people in their synagogue. They were amazed and said, “Where did He get this wisdom and these special powers? Is He not the carpenter’s Son? Is Mary not His mother and are James, Joseph, Simon and Judas not His brothers? Are not all His sisters living here? How did He get all this?” And so they took offence at Him.

Jesus said to them, “The only place where prophets are not welcome is their hometown and in their own family.” And He did not perform many miracles there because of their lack of faith.