Commentary on the liturgy of February 3, 2021 by Don Luigi Maria Epicoco

The places most familiar to us are not always the most ideal. Today's Gospel gives us an example of this by reporting the gossip of the same fellow villagers of Jesus:

"" Where do these things come from? And what wisdom is this that has been given to him? And these wonders performed by his hands? Isn't this the carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of James, Joses, Judah and Simon? And aren't your sisters here with us? ». And they took offense at him ”.

It is difficult to make Grace act in the face of a prejudice, because it is the proud conviction of already knowing, of already knowing, of not expecting anything but what one thinks that one already knows. If one thinks with prejudice God cannot do much, because God does not work by doing different things, but by raising new things in what are the same things as always in our life. If you no longer expect anything from someone close to you (husband, wife, child, friend, parent, colleague) and you have buried him in a prejudice, perhaps with all the right reasons in the world, God cannot make any change in him. because you have decided that it cannot be there. You expect new people but you don't expect a novelty in the same people as always.

"" A prophet is despised only in his country, among his relatives and in his house. " And he could not work any miracle there, but only laid his hands on a few sick people and healed them. And he marveled at their incredulity ”.

Today's Gospel reveals to us that what can prevent the Grace of God is not first of all evil, but the attitude of closed mind with which we very often look at those around us. Only by placing our prejudices and our beliefs on others then we could see wonders worked in the hearts and lives of those around us. But if we are the first to not believe it then it will be difficult to really see them. After all, Jesus is always willing to work miracles but as long as faith is put on the table, not the "now" with which we often reason.