Reflection for Friday August 1 Memorial of Saint Alphonsus Liguori, Bishop and Doctor of the Church: Matthew 13:54-58

Gospel: Matthew 13:54-58

Jesus came to his native place and taught the people in their synagogue. They were astonished and said, “Where did this man get such wisdom and mighty deeds? Is he not the carpenter’s son? Is not his mother named Mary and his brothers James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas? 

Are not his sisters all with us? Where did this man get all this?” And they took offense at him. But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his native place and in his own house.” And he did not work many mighty deeds there because of their lack of faith.

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Reflection:

Do we sometimes treat our fellow men and women selectively? 

Perhaps we do, often without even realizing it. We look at someone’s background, their education, their occupation, or the family they come from—and in a dark corner of our heart, we judge. We assume they are not capable of wisdom, goodness, or greatness simply because of where they came from. 

This was exactly what happened to Jesus in His own hometown. The people who had known Him since childhood—His neighbors, relatives, and friends—treated Him with disdain. Why? Because they could not believe that someone they had seen grow up among them, someone from a family of humble laborers, could now speak with such authority and wisdom in their synagogue. 

Instead of welcoming Him, they dismissed Him. Instead of opening their hearts, they closed them. They could not accept that this man—whom they thought they knew—was now teaching with divine insight. What led them to reject the Lord? It was pride. It was their arrogance and their inflated view of themselves that blinded them to the truth standing right in front of them. 

Jesus’ own townspeople missed the opportunity to receive the grace and blessings He had brought. Because of their unbelief, their spiritual pride and their unwillingness to believe that God could work through someone so familiar, they were deprived of miracles and teachings that could have transformed their lives. 

Let us not fall into the same trap. Our pride and self-importance will never lead us to Jesus—they only lead us away from Him. They close our hearts to His presence, especially when He comes to us in unexpected forms: through the poor, the uneducated, the quiet, or the ordinary. How many blessings have we missed because we failed to recognize Christ in others? 

Instead of pride, let us choose humility. Let us be respectful, gentle, and open-hearted to everyone, regardless of their status in life or level of education. For it is often through the humble and lowly that Jesus speaks most powerfully. 

Let us not strive to exalt ourselves in the eyes of others. Let us surrender that desire to the Lord. If we allow Him to lift us according to His will and time, we will gain the kind of respect that truly matters—the kind that comes from love, not pride. 

May we never overlook the divine simply because it appears in the ordinary. May we never miss Jesus simply because we think we know better. – Marino J. Dasmarinas