The exchange between God and Solomon in the First Book of Kings reveals how the pursuit of qualities for excellent service of others opens our life to experiencing many associated gifts.
* [3:1–15] The third major unit of the Solomon story depicts the bright beginning of his reign. It includes the narrator’s remarks about Solomon’s marriage and his building projects, and a divine appearance to Solomon. Compare 11:1–13, where the same themes recur, but in negative fashion. The story of the divine appearance is told also in 2 Chr 1:1–13.In the Gospel of Mark, Jesus plan to offer a retreat for restoration for the disciples is interrupted by people who need spiritual guidance.
* [6:31–34] The withdrawal of Jesus with his disciples to a desert place to rest attracts a great number of people to follow them. Toward this people of the new exodus Jesus is moved with pity; he satisfies their spiritual hunger by teaching them many things, thus gradually showing himself the faithful shepherd of a new Israel; cf. Nm 27:17; Ez 34:15.Candice Tucci, OSF, reminds us that there are times when we find ourselves in a dilemma and will have a need for direction or discernment.
Jesus, with his Apostles recognize the need to rest amidst the demands of their lives. Hopefully, we can find a good night’s sleep, as we say, can help to clear our heads, and awaken to a new day with renewed energy to face what is before us. Whatever is before us, we only need to remember what God has said: “Ask something of me and I will give it to you.Don Schwager offers a meditation on what the image of a shepherd tell us about God's care for us. He quotes a sermon by Augustine of Hippo, 354-430 A.D. that explains how the good shepherd feeds us with the words of God.
"The pastures that this good shepherd has prepared for you, in which he has settled you for you to take your fill, are not various kinds of grasses and green things, among which some are sweet to the taste, some extremely bitter, which as the seasons succeed one another are sometimes there and sometimes not. Your pastures are the words of God and his commandments, and they have all been sown as sweet grasses. These pastures had been tasted by that man who said to God, 'How sweet are your words to my palate, more so than honey and the honeycomb in my mouth!' (Psalm 119:103)." (excerpt from Sermon 366.3)Friar Jude Winkler explains the qualities of the wisdom of Solomon that drew attention from the Queen of Sheba. We need to exercise caution against remaining in our “natural” comfort zone as we deal with tension in ministry around finding balance and recharge for our batteries.
The Word Among Us meditation for today suggests that Jesus wants us to be practical and open to the promptings of the Spirit to act in the moment.
Jesus wants us to be practical. He wants us to be ordered. He wants us to take care of ourselves and get the rest we need. But there are also times when he wants us to put our plans aside for the greater good.The Reflection Post by Franciscan Media comments that St. Blaise is seen as one more example of the power those have who give themselves entirely to Jesus.
We can learn how to sense these movements from God so that the practical doesn’t overshadow the compassionate and spontaneous. You may sense a prompting to speak to someone after Mass or in the grocery store. You may feel that God just wants you to hug your husband or child or that you should put aside what you are doing and read Scripture for a few minutes. Whenever something like this happens, try to act on it. You never know where it will lead you
Four centuries give ample opportunity for fiction to creep in with fact. Who can be sure how accurate Blaise’s biographer was? But biographical details are not essential. Blaise is seen as one more example of the power those have who give themselves entirely to Jesus. As Jesus told his apostles at the Last Supper, “If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask for whatever you want and it will be done for you” (John 15:7). With faith we can follow the lead of the Church in asking for Blaise’s protection.Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, describes the Buddhist practice of metta, loving kindness, as a wonderful way to grow compassion for yourself and for others.
This practice resonates with the dialogue of Solomon with God from 1 Kings and opens our consciousness to respond to the needs of others for a shepherd.Begin by sitting in silence and finding the place of loving kindness within you. Then speak the following statements aloud:May I be free from inner and outer harm and danger. May I be safe and protected.
May I be free of mental suffering or distress.
May I be happy.
May I be free of physical pain and suffering.
May I be healthy and strong.
May I be able to live in this world happily, peacefully, joyfully, with ease. [1]Repeat these affirmations as many times as you wish. When you are ready, replace the “I” in each statement with someone else’s name.
References
(n.d.). 1 Kings, chapter 3 - United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Retrieved February 3, 2018, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/bible/1kings/3:4
(n.d.). Mark, chapter 6 - United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Retrieved February 3, 2018, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/mark/6
(n.d.). Creighton U Daily Reflections .... Retrieved February 3, 2018, from http://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/daily.html
(n.d.). Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved February 3, 2018, from http://dailyscripture.servantsoftheword.org/
(n.d.). Saint Blaise, Bishop and Martyr (Optional Memorial) - Mass Readings .... Retrieved February 3, 2018, from https://wau.org/meditations/
(n.d.). Saint Blaise – Franciscan Media. Retrieved February 3, 2018, from https://www.franciscanmedia.org/saint-blaise/
(2017, December 30). 2018 Daily Meditations - Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved February 3, 2018, from https://cac.org/2018-daily-meditations/
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