DAILY HOMILIES #proud

What made the people hostile to Jesus? Was it that they did not recognise His superior wisdom? No. Their hostility was a result of their familiarity with Jesus. They took offence at Jesus because they knew him simply as the carpenter’s son; they did not recognise His Divinity. Unlike Jairus, who fell on his feet in worship before Jesus (while asking for his daughter’s healing), these people considered Jesus an impostor.

Luke tells us that Jesus told a “parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and despised others.” (Luke 18:9) One of the symptoms of pride is trusting in ourselves rather than in God, forgetting that our righteousness is a product of grace, not personal efforts.

Today, our readings present other obstacles to faith which we must avoid such as hostility towards God, familiarity, falsehood and pride. Whether we like it or not, these are factors responsible for the scarcity of miracles in our churches today.