St Ignatius of Loyola, priest : Friday 31st July 2020

When people grow up together, the resulting familiarity can lead to a great friendship. On the other hand, familiarity can sometimes cause a person to conclude that he or she has the other person completely figured out. In such cases, it can be difficult to recognise God’s extraordinary grace at work amidst the ordinary.

The people of Nazareth have difficulty letting go of their assumptions about Jesus. Since they see his childhood and youth as apparently ordinary, they find it difficult to imagine that he can be anything more than this. This keeps them from recognising the extraordinary things God wants to do for them.

In the first reading, the Lord sees the people of Judah being unfaithful and doing what is evil. Jeremiah calls the people back to living according to the law and to what is good. The Lord patiently offers them a chance to turn back and avoid the harsh consequences of their behaviour. Yet, people choose to reject Jeremiah’s challenging message. In the end, the Babylonians attack and conquer Judah. The people failed to recognise Jeremiah’s words as God’s voice.

Am I able to recognise God’s voice in my life? What is that voice saying? Am I open to the possibility that God desires to do something extraordinary for me or others?

Lord, help me to recognise Your voice in the ordinary.