By Clara Meier

“And Jesus said to them, ‘A prophet is not without honor, except in his own country, and among his own kin, and in his own house.'” ~ Mark 6:4

As was customary, I joined friends after Mass that Sunday for donuts and fellowship in the church hall. As was also customary, a stranger joined our table. My parish was known for being a welcoming space, so it wasn’t unusual for someone to visit the parish to see if they might want to call it their church home. The friend I was sitting by quickly introduced herself to the newcomer, then proceeded to move around the table, introducing each of us and including some information about our contributions to the parish. 

Imagine my surprise when she came to me, only came up with my name, and then went into a long pause. (It was clear she was trying to think of something she could share about me in the way of parish contributions.) Finally, the pause ended, and my talent was “she works with the parish singles group.”

Though that was a true statement, it wasn’t what I most wanted to be remembered for at that time. And it definitely wasn’t the only talent I contributed to the parish. I nodded to our visitor, enjoyed my coffee time with the group, and went on with my usual Sunday routine.

Did she really see me?

But that evening, I reflected on the description of me. I felt like I had been making a big effort to move into other areas of volunteering in my parish. In fact, I felt like I was so busy with my parish responsibilities that I even needed to consider choosing which ones to move forward with and which ones to step back from. And what about my friend? Did she really see me? I thought we were close enough in our friendship for her to know at least some of the multiple activities that I was involved with.

This is the message Jesus gave after his visit to Nazareth. His own people had watched him grow up, and now they were unwilling to see him for who he had become. In the realm of “what if?”, what if the people of Nazareth had recognized Jesus for who he really is? How different would history be? Jesus was really very diplomatic in this situation. He offered himself to his people, and when they rejected him, he moved on.

In my own situation, I tried to do the same. I did some praying over how I gave of my time to my parish. How was it that a close friend seemed completely unaware of my multiple contributions to our church life? I felt like I showed up for Mass, including daily Mass. I was even a hospitality minister on a regular basis. I volunteered with religious education. I helped with the “work tasks” of parish operation. And so on and so forth. The Holy Spirit guided me to keep on doing what I was able, in service to my parish. God could see my talents, and he would bless my efforts. But to tally my contributions and have them tucked away in some sort of report would not really serve a purpose.

I do think about my friend. If she thought my only talent was working with the parish singles group, then I also think about all the opportunity she was missing. If she had taken the time to really see me, she might have seen something I could help her with. What strength there is in joining talents!

How can we see and be seen?

And this takes us back to the experience of Jesus on his visit to Nazareth. What if they had welcomed him to his own hometown as the rabbi and teacher he had become?

Further, it takes us to our own lives. Do you have someone in your world that you take for granted? Perhaps you have known them for so long that you count on them for what they brought to the table when you first met them. Have you taken the time to keep up with where they are on their journey now? Could they have a talent to share with you now? Do you have a talent to share with them? Would they benefit from some simple recognition in the world where your paths cross? 

Or perhaps you know them because someone else told you about them. You have never personally tried to reach out and instead just rely on the information given to you by your mutual friend/relative/coworker. Your own contact with them may set the two of you up for a whole new adventure!

You can apply the same principles to your relationship with Jesus. Have you taken the time to keep in touch with him? Do you see Jesus and develop a relationship with him? Or is he just there?

Prayer:

Holy Spirit, please open my eyes and heart to those around me. Allow me time to spend with them one-on-one, to welcome them and get to know them better. Open my heart so that I can hear them and not judge them. Allow me to offer friendship, encouragement, and Jesus to all I meet. Help me find those who need someone to listen to them, that we may forge a friendship in Christ, for the good of all!

Call to Action:

Set a goal of spending a few extra minutes visiting with the people in your world each day. Turn the conversation away from utility and toward personal topics, as appropriate. 

In addition, talk to someone you don’t ordinarily spend time with, taking some time to get to know them on a personal level. Think of how Jesus went out of his way to meet Photina, the woman at the well, and how that conversation was so fruitful.

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