Commentary on the Gospel of
Rejection by those closest to you always hurts more than the rejection of strangers. It can threaten your self-confidence, making you question your value, leading to unimaginable pain. As today’s Gospel reminds us, no hum an experience is foreign to Jesus. By becoming fully human, he shares in our hopes and fears, our joys and our sorrows, even our pain.
As members of Christ’s Body, we are called to reach out in love to those who are hurt or who question whether or not anyone cares about them. The invitation to love is present throughout our lives. When we are young, we can invite the lonely children to join our games. The teen years are especially difficult, so reaching out to those who seem different, either as a peer or a trusted adult, can offer encouragement. Given the prevalence of teens who die by suicide, such attention can literally be life-saving. Even as adults, our faith asks us to extend our hands and our hearts to those in the margins, offering people material assistance, but also our time, our attention, and our prayer.
