Scripture Scribbles: July 7, 2024

the Gospel

Mark 6:1-6

Jesus departed from there and came to his native place, accompanied by his disciples.
When the sabbath came he began to teach in the synagogue,
and many who heard him were astonished.
They said, “Where did this man get all this?
What kind of wisdom has been given him?
What mighty deeds are wrought by his hands!
Is he not the carpenter, the son of Mary,
and the brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon?
And are not his sisters here with us?”
And they took offense at him.
Jesus said to them,
“A prophet is not without honor except in his native place
and among his own kin and in his own house.”
So he was not able to perform any mighty deed there,
apart from curing a few sick people by laying his hands on them.
He was amazed at their lack of faith.

the scribble

Knowing the Lord—knowing the truth—can be a very lonely place to be sometimes. 

This is something I learned shortly after coming to know the fullness of the truth in Catholicism. My eyes had been opened to Christ: present in the Eucharist, present in the Sacraments, present in the daily intricacies of my life—and I was completely on fire. 

I couldn’t wait to shout it from the rooftops, to share the Good News with anyone I met, anyone I’ve ever known. I was jumping out of my skin, bouncing out of bed in the early streaks of morning, running to daily Mass, basking in Scripture, spending hours in Adoration, zipping through my day consuming nothing but Catholic content, bringing the Lord up in conversation wherever I could think to fit Him in. I found it difficult to relax, I was so hyped up about the truth and what had been revealed to me. What a beautiful grace! What an amazing season of life. 

But it didn’t take long for it to become apparent that hardly anyone around me felt the same way. People from my past didn’t seem to understand. People I’d just met seemed taken aback. I was even told to tamper it down, so as not to “freak people out” with my enthusiasm for the Lord. 

In short, it has been a very difficult road learning to live everyday life all while knowing this inexplicably radiant treasure trove of truth that has been revealed to me. How do you go about regular life after coming to know such astoundingly, life-changing good news?! How do you live with people making assumptions about your relationship to God or your understanding of the truth? 

When I ponder this, I feel the Lord gently inviting me to reflect and sit with Him in today’s Gospel. In prayer, I imagine Him feeling similar when His own people that He knew and loved rejected Him for following out His mission for Christ. 

He was: Isolated. Doubted. Ridiculed. Misunderstood. 

And for what? For knowing who He was, for knowing what He was called to do, and for carrying that mission out. 

Today, I feel the nudge to let you know that you are not alone in carrying out Christ’s mission. Do not let the words, doubts, opinions, or misconceptions of others lead you astray from the truth. And if you feel a bit lonely on this mission, take heart. Know that I am here with you, lifting you up in prayer and cheering you on.

Today’s devotion was written by Rachel Smith