Today, 22nd of February, we celebrate
The Chair of Saint Peter the Apostle
King David said to Joab and the leaders of the army who were with him,
"Tour all the tribes in Israel from Dan to Beer-sheba
and register the people, that I may know their number."
Joab then reported to the king the number of people registered:
in Israel, eight hundred thousand men fit for military service;
in Judah, five hundred thousand.
Afterward, however, David regretted having numbered the people,
and said to the Lord:
"I have sinned grievously in what I have done.
But now, Lord, forgive the guilt of your servant,
for I have been very foolish."
When David rose in the morning,
the Lord had spoken to the prophet Gad, David's seer, saying:
"Go and say to David, 'This is what the Lord says:
I offer you three alternatives;
choose one of them, and I will inflict it on you.'"
Gad then went to David to inform him.
He asked: "Do you want a three years' famine to come upon your land,
or to flee from your enemy three months while he pursues you,
or to have a three days' pestilence in your land?
Now consider and decide what I must reply to him who sent me."
David answered Gad: "I am in very serious difficulty.
Let us fall by the hand of God, for he is most merciful;
but let me not fall by the hand of man."
Thus David chose the pestilence.
Now it was the time of the wheat harvest
when the plague broke out among the people.
The Lord then sent a pestilence over Israel
from morning until the time appointed,
and seventy thousand of the people from Dan to Beer-sheba died.
But when the angel stretched forth his hand toward Jerusalem to destroy it,
the Lord regretted the calamity
and said to the angel causing the destruction among the people,
"Enough now! Stay your hand."
The angel of the Lord was then standing
at the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.
When David saw the angel who was striking the people,
he said to the Lord: "It is I who have sinned;
it is I, the shepherd, who have done wrong.
But these are sheep; what have they done?
Punish me and my kindred."
R./ Lord, forgive the wrong I have done.
Blessed is he whose fault is taken away,
whose sin is covered.
Blessed the man to whom the Lord imputes not guilt,
in whose spirit there is no guile.
R./ Lord, forgive the wrong I have done.
Then I acknowledged my sin to you,
my guilt I covered not.
I said, "I confess my faults to the Lord,"
and you took away the guilt of my sin.
R./ Lord, forgive the wrong I have done.
For this shall every faithful man pray to you
in time of stress.
Though deep waters overflow,
they shall not reach him.
R./ Lord, forgive the wrong I have done.
You are my shelter; from distress you will preserve me;
with glad cries of freedom you will ring me round.
R./ Lord, forgive the wrong I have done.
Jesus departed from there and came to his native place, accompanied by his disciples.
When the sabbath came he began to teach in the synagogue,
and many who heard him were astonished.
They said, "Where did this man get all this?
What kind of wisdom has been given him?
What mighty deeds are wrought by his hands!
Is he not the carpenter, the son of Mary,
and the brother of James and Joseph and Judas and Simon?
And are not his sisters here with us?"
And they took offense at him.
Jesus said to them,
"A prophet is not without honor except in his native place
and among his own kin and in his own house."
So he was not able to perform any mighty deed there,
apart from curing a few sick people by laying his hands on them.
He was amazed at their lack of faith.
Dear brothers and sisters, peace and blessings to you.
Today, the Gospel of Mark presents us with a crucial moment in Jesus’ ministry, where He returns to His hometown and faces rejection from those who knew Him as a child. This passage invites us to reflect on the relationship between faith, familiarity, and the ability to see beyond appearances.
After preaching and performing miracles in other regions, Jesus returns to Nazareth. However, instead of being received with faith and enthusiasm, He is met with skepticism and rejection. The reaction of His fellow townspeople is striking:
«Where did He get all this? What kind of wisdom has been given to Him?»
They are astonished, but at the same time, they question His origins:
«Isn’t this the carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of James, Joseph, Judas, and Simon? And aren’t His sisters here with us?»
This rejection goes beyond Jesus as a person—it is also a rejection of His message and divine authority. The people of Nazareth were too familiar with Him, and that familiarity blinded them to His true identity. Instead of opening their hearts to His message, they closed themselves off, unable to see beyond the child they once knew.
A Faith Limited by Familiarity
This episode reminds us how often faith is hindered by our own perceptions and biases. How many times, because we are too accustomed to something or someone, do we fail to recognize God’s work in our lives?
Perhaps we have heard the Word of God countless times, or we have become so used to the rituals of faith that we no longer marvel at the mystery unfolding before us.
The rejection at Nazareth is not just an isolated case of unbelief. Jesus Himself acknowledges:
«A prophet is not without honor except in his hometown.»
True faith is not about fame or status, but about a heart open to God’s newness. Unbelief is not a matter of place, but of a heart closed off to divine action, unable to recognize God working in the ordinary moments of life.
Faith Unlocks the Power of God
At the end of this passage, Mark tells us:
«He was unable to perform many miracles there, except for a few healings.»
This does not mean Jesus lacked power—rather, it reveals that unbelief limits the action of God.
Faith is the key that allows God’s grace to work in our lives. If we close ourselves off, we risk remaining on the surface and missing out on the depth of divine love.
A Call to Open Our Hearts
Today, we are invited to examine our own faith.
Are we willing to let the Lord speak to us in new ways? Can we recognize His presence in the everyday—even when it challenges our expectations?
Like the disciples, may we learn to open our hearts to His Word and actions, refusing to let our familiarity with Him keep us from experiencing His transformative power.
Your brother in faith,
Alejandro Carbajo, C.M.F.St. Agatha, “the good one,” patroness of Sicily, refused marriage to dedicate herself to her fellow Christians by doing diaconal work at a time of persecution, especially care of the sick and of the poor. She was denounced and tortured to death in 251, at the time of Emperor Decius. Threats and torture could not sway her.
Lord God,
your Son Jesus warned his followers
that for his sake they would be persecuted.
But he told us not to be afraid,
for he would let his Spirit
put in our mouths what to say.
May we, like St. Agatha,
bear witness to our faith
with our whole being,
without hesitation or doubt or fear,
for you are with us through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Lord, our faithful God,
with bread and wine we celebrate
that we want to be faithful to you
as you are close and faithful to us
in the new covenant you have made with us
through your Son Jesus Christ.
Through him, give us, weak people,
the foolish wisdom and the strength
to give you honor and praise
now and for ever.
Lord our God,
Jesus called us not only servants
but friends in whom he lives.
Like Saint Agatha,
may we serve you in people,
especially in the sick and the poor,
for you have entrusted their care to us.
In them, let us grow closer to you
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
