Pope: familiarity on human level impedes our ability to go beyond and open up to divine dimension
Castel Gandolfo
(AsiaNews) - "Familiarity on a human level makes it difficult to go beyond
and open up to the divine dimension": as is shown by what happened when
Jesus returned to Nazareth and people who had known him for almost 30 years
"were shocked" seeing
him teach in the synagogue. The
episode of today's Gospel from which the saying " Nemo propheta in patria ", ie, no
prophet is welcome among his people, was derived has was the focus of Benedict
XVI's reflections today before the Angelus.
Looking
out the window of the Apostolic Palace of Castel Gandolfo, where he is in residence
since Tuesday afternoon, the Pope also asked faithful not to send "God on
vacation." Benedict
XVI, addressing the inhabitants of the Alban hamlet which hosts him he wished "all
families a period of physical and spiritual rest and recharge" then
turning to the French speaking pilgrims, after the recitation of the Angelus, warned
them
not to put "God on hold during the summer vacation: remember to pray - he
added - and go to Sunday Mass ".
Earlier,
commenting on today's Gospel, the Pope reminded the three thousand people
present in the courtyard of the return of Jesus to Nazareth: "His fellow
citizens" astonished "by his wisdom and, knowing him as the" son
of Mary " ,
the "carpenter" who had lived in their midst, instead of welcoming him
with faith, were offended by him (cf. Mk 6.2 to 3). This fact is
understandable, because familiarity in human terms makes it difficult to go
beyond and be open to divine
dimension. Jesus himself uses the example of the prophets of Israel, who had
been the object of contempt in their own home, and identifies with them. Due to
this spiritual closure, Jesus of Nazareth could able to perform any "mighty
deed" there ,
but only laid his hands upon a few sick people and healed them "(Mk 6.5).
In fact, the miracles of Christ are not a display of power, but signs of love
of God, which takes place where it meets men of faith".
"So,
it seems that Jesus accepts - as they say - the hostile reception he receives
in Nazareth. Instead, at the end of the story, we find an observation that says
just the opposite. The Evangelist writes that Jesus" was amazed at their
lack of faith"(MC6, 6). Added to the amazement of his fellow citizens, who
are scandalized, is that of Jesus. He
also, in a sense, is scandalized! Despite knowing that no prophet is accepted
in his homeland, the closure of heart
of his people for him remains obscure, arcane, how can they not recognize the
light of Truth? Why are they not open to the goodness of God, who wanted to
share our humanity? In fact, the man Jesus of Nazareth is the transparency
of God, God lives in him fully. And while we always try other signs, other
wonders, we do not realize that the real sign is He, God made flesh, He is the
greatest miracle of the universe: all the love God hidden
in a human heart in a man's face. "
In
a greeting addressed to the Poles, finally, the pope recalled "the young
scholars of the Opera Foundation of the New Millennium meeting in Lublin:
together with believers of different religions, at the former concentration
camp at Majdanek, tonight they will raise prayers for peace. I
am spiritually with them - he concluded - at these events; I implore goodness
and peace for the world, for Poland and for each one of you. "
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