“A prophet is not without honor except in his native place and among his own kin and in his own house.”  Thus said Jesus in today’s Gospel in response to the non-response of his neighbors to his teaching in the synagogue.  Their attitude blocked his ability to perform “mighty deeds.”

I find this startling!  And it warrants some further thought. 

Can it be that healing and “mighty deeds” gain their power by tapping into the relationship between the healer and the one needing to be healed—even when Jesus is the healer?

There are so many applications:  the aloof teacher vs. one with understanding; the ultra-efficient vs. the gracious health provider; the judge who dispenses justice with mercy vs. the letter of he law jurist.

We are in the second month of the Year of Mercy called forth by Pope Francis.  Perhaps our response requires a deeper look at our patterns, our attitudes, our evaluations of others with a particular notice of those close to us toward whom we harbor prejudgments or jealousy.

How sad it would be to discover later that we had blocked the movement of the Holy Spirit in our world today!

* A special thank you to Maryanne Rouse, who has retired from Creighton, and from many years of writing these Daily Reflections.