Go forward in faith Ez 2:2-5; Ps 123:1-2, 2, 3-4; 2 Cor 12:7-10; Mk 6:1-6 My close friend’s parents just celebrated their 42nd wedding anniversary in May. This is an incredible milestone for any couple. For my friend’s parents, whom I will call Rob and Lisa, it seems especially miraculous that they are still married. Rob and Lisa got married when they were 21. They did not marry each other because they were in love or because they were feeling external pressure from their families or society at large. They got married because they had both grown up in dysfunctional households and wanted to escape. The day Rob and Lisa decided to marry, Lisa waited for her parents to leave the house in the evening, packed all her things and moved out. She left them a letter saying, “Rob and I are getting married on May 15. You can come if you want.” That is not what one might call a promising start. To make matters worse, no one in their families wanted them to marry. Even Rob’s great-grandmother, who immigrated to the U.S. from the Azores when she was 19, begged Lisa not to marry Rob. “Go to school,” she said in her thick Portuguese accent. “Be a doctor!” The priest who presided at their wedding was vehemently against it and made it clear, in no uncertain terms, that he did not want to do it. While walking down the aisle, Lisa’s father whispered that there was still time for her to change her mind. Later, at the reception, wedding guests were placing bets over the tables about how quickly the newlywed couple would divorce. None of the guests purchased anything nice from the gift registry. The only gifts Lisa and Rob received were the cheaper items, like towels and linens. Things that would not be worth fighting over in a divorce. Even amid all this negativity, the wedding ceremony itself was beautiful. According to Lisa, it was the most peaceful and serene wedding ceremony she has witnessed to this very day. The marriage itself was tumultuous for many years. Both Rob and Lisa were very angry and wounded. Even though their wounds were different, they were similar enough that, somehow, they were able to heal in figuring out their relationship together. They were able to give their two children better lives and opportunities than they had when they were children. They have grown and become better in ways they may not have if they had listened to the doubts and critiques of their families and friends all those years ago. It is common for the people who know us well to voice opinions or concerns over our choices. This is not necessarily a bad thing. Those closest to us know our character, our behavioral patterns, and are sometimes able to see things we cannot — or do not want — to see. We should listen to them when they have something to say, even if it is not what we want to hear. But there are moments when we know deep inside that we are on the right path, even if it does not seem like it. In those moments we, like Ezekiel and Jesus in our readings today, have to trust that the little voice telling us to go forward is God, gently nudging us down the path meant for us. Our family and friends may push back against our decisions in those moments. They may be stubborn and unrelenting in their opposition (Ez 2:5). They may speak harshly or cruelly (2 Cor 12:10a). In some situations, they may even outright reject us (Mk 6:1-6). No one hurts us like the ones we love the most. Standing firm in a decision that has engendered such difficulty is not easy, and the path itself may be a difficult one. In these moments, we can look to God for support (Ps 123:1), holding on to our faith, because it is when we go forward in faith that God can work wonders through us and for us (Mk 6:5-6).
About the Author Kate Oxsen is an assistant professor of Old Testament studies at Catholic Theological Union.