Homily for the Memorial of St. Agatha

The people of Nazareth should have recognized how God the Father was working through Jesus in a unique way. Instead, they mocked Him and looked down on Him. They found Him too familiar, too local, and too well-known. They were acquainted with His mother and His family. Because He was one of their own, they saw Him as too ordinary to take seriously. This is a classic example of "familiarity breeding contempt."

Often, we fail to recognize God's presence in the every day and the familiar. In truth, we do not need to travel far or witness extraordinary miracles to acknowledge the wisdom and power of God. His presence is all around us—in the near, the familiar, and the ordinary—if only we have the eyes to see and the ears to hear. The Gospel urges us to view the familiar and the ordinary with fresh perspectives. The failure of the people of Nazareth to see in this way hindered what Jesus could accomplish among them. When we change our perspective, it opens up space for the Lord to work among us in new and profound ways.