In today’s Gospel, we see the nitty gritty reality of the Incarnation. The Eternal Son of God chose to humble Himself and be born as a man. And not just a man, but a man living in Nazareth, one of the most insignificant villages in His country. And not just a man living in Nazareth, but a manual laborer. And so, despite Jesus’ powerful teaching and wondrous miracles, the people of Nazareth disrespect Him: isn’t this man just one of us? And isn’t He even one of the more lowly ones among us? And the response of Jesus’ neighbors, when you think about it in merely human terms, actually does make some sense. I mean, before Jesus, can you think of any other great figure in history, anyone who led an important movement, who wasn’t a member of the elite class or a military figure? I can’t. And yet, here Jesus is, proclaiming that He is ushering in the Kingdom of God. Really? A carpenter? From Nazareth? Not a nobleman. Not a general.
Inviting Jesus into Our Lives
But this is the mysterious, divinely brilliant plan of the Incarnation. To undo human sin, the root of which is pride, God will humble Himself, and humble Himself all the way. And we who are the disciples of Jesus must be ready to follow a path like His. Today’s saint, Alphonsus Liguori, is a wonderful example. He was born into a noble and military family near Naples, Italy around 1700. He was a prodigy, earning doctorates in canon and civil law at the age of 16, and working in high-profile cases by the age of 20. But he decided to walk away from all of that, and after becoming a priest, he chose to live and preach missions among the simple, the poor, and the abandoned. He was brilliant, but unlike many other great Church minds in his day, he emphasized simple devotion to Mary in a dedicated life of prayer. As a moral theologian, he gently helped ordinary Christians grow to genuine virtue by emphasizing God’s redeeming love and our response in gratitude.
Perhaps you are wondering this day how God might be calling you to serve His Kingdom. Whether you are someone who feels pretty small and insignificant, or someone who knows you have brilliant gifts to offer, today’s Scriptures and today’s saint invite you to consider how the virtue of a trusting, confident humility might open you up to God’s call in your life.
- Father Charlie's inspirational homily was recorded live during Mass at the Father Peyton Center this morning. You can view the Mass (and the Rosary at the 30-minute mark) on the Family Rosary YouTube page.
- To join the Rosary and Mass Livestream, visit the Family Rosary YouTube or Facebook page at 11:30 a.m. Eastern, Monday–Friday. Consider inviting others to join, too! (*If you are not a member of Facebook and a signup window appears, select the X at the top of the pop-up message and continue to the livestream.)
