Bias

Fourteenth Sunday in

Ordinary Time

4 July 2021 

 

First Reading: EZ 2:2-5

Responsorial Psalm: PS 123:1-2, 2, 3-4

Second Reading: 2 COR 12:7-10

Gospel: MK 6:1-6

 

Reflection

By: Grace Madrinan

 

"A prophet is not without honor except his native place and among his own kin and in his own house." - MK 6:4

Whenever I read today's Gospel, I feel bad for Jesus. I could not believe how impossible those people were back then. Have they not seen His miracles?

I was too quick to judge but then I realized I was just like Jesus' neighbors. There was a friend who just published an e-book and asked for my "endorsement" a few times already and I keep delaying it. My excuses? "I was too busy". "I kept on forgetting". But when I paused and reflected on it, I realized that deep inside I was jealous. I was too proud to admit that she accomplished something I wanted to do for a long time. I am just hiding the excuse that her work was not "good enough" to be promoted.

So when I snapped out of my pride, I finally got to read my friend's book and promoted it to my friends. I was no longer half-hearted when I said it was a good book, because it is. I just had to have the humility to remove my bias.

Maybe that's how it was during Jesus' time. Their neighbors were probably jealous of the attention He was getting and could not admit that the Son of God rose among them and they were too blind to see.

Prayer

 

Father, free me from my bias  and let me see the potential of every person as You would want me to see. Make me an instrument of your encouragement to pursue good work. Amen.