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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.
The Gospel of the Lord.
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Mother Teresa used to run a school for street children in downtown Calcutta. Written on the wall outside the school’s entrance was a set of teachings everyone was encouraged to follow, including the following:
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People are often unreasonable, irrational, and self-centered. Forgive them anyway.
The good you do today will often be forgotten. Do good anyway.
In the end, what you do is between you and God. It’s never between you and them anyway.
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In the Gospel, Jesus returns to his hometown, but he’s not welcomed like many would expect.
He’s bombarded with skepticism and doubt, instead. “Where did this man get such wisdom? … Is he not the carpenter’s son?”
Rather than trying to fit in, Jesus chooses to be himself, to preach the truth, and then move on to the next town.
Some will come to believe in him because of his words, while others will not. But he’s not out to please the locals anyway; he only wants to do his Father’s will.
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The same is true for us.
Sometimes the good we do is either unrecognized or taken for granted.
But we must do good deeds anyway, because it’s our heavenly Father – not the world around us – whom we’re trying to please.
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Image credits: (1) God rooted (2) Praying through the Scriptures, WordPress (3) Mother Teresa