NOTES for Mar 6:1-6
The principle followed by the inhabitants of Galilee, and which each of us has experienced for ourselves, sometimes reflects a very sad phenomenon in our spiritual life. The essence of this principle is that when people think they know something or someone very well, they become unable to see in that person more than they are used to seeing. Unfortunately, we ourselves often find ourselves in the place of Jesus' countrymen, except that, in addition to calling Him the son of Mary and the brother of James, Joses, and others, we also call Him the Son of God. But this lofty confession does not prevent us from closing our eyes to what we have not yet grasped and have not yet grown into. Like those Galileans, we think we are sufficiently familiar with our Savior from Scripture, from the works of theologians, and from the stories of mystics. But there is one irrefutable argument that shows how little we know Him and how little we believe in Him: spiritual slackness, despondency, life not lived at full strength, weakness in prayer, the inability to see His action in our life, to trust and hope only in Him. No wonder He performs so many miracles neither in our destinies, families, nor communities. What should be done here? That is a question for each of us...