Friday of Week 17 Year 1

What would you do if one day, your parish has a new parish priest or a new religious sister, and the new person is actually a son or daughter of the parish, that is, someone whose origins are from the parish he or she is now being posted to. Would you accept the person and work with him or her to help the parish grow? Or would you reject the person, because you think that you know the person well enough?

In today's Gospel, Jesus tells us: "'A prophet is only despised in his own country and in his own house', and he did not work many miracles there because of their lack of faith." The people did not accept Jesus because the people thought they knew Him too well, and they already had preconceived opinions and ideas about Him. Their hearts were closed and they did not think Jesus had anything to offer them. As a result, they had rejected Jesus upfront, without even giving Him a chance to help and guide them.

Some of us too may have this attitude problem. Some of us allow our preconceived ideas and opinions to surface and rear their ugly heads, making it difficult for some to accept a familiar face. The question is: are we willing and docile enough to change our attitude and work with the son or daughter of the parish? Who knows, he or she may turn out to be an amazing and loving shepherd and guide. Are we willing to give him or her a chance?