5 February 2026 – Thursday of the 4th week of Ordinary Time
1 Kings 2:1-4, 10-12; Mark 6:7-13
H O M I L Y
Jesus' first attempt to teach in his own village, at the beginning of his public life, ended in failure. From that moment on, he took his message to the roads and villages of Galilee and then Judea. From then on, Jesus clearly distanced himself from the official worship and religious authorities of the Jewish people, adopting a lifestyle and style of preaching in line with the prophets of the Old Testament and therefore in line with John the Baptist, whose ascetic tradition he took on by being baptised by him. This is the same lifestyle he recommended to his disciples when he sent them out to the towns and villages of the region.