In the family

The texts today from the Roman Catholic Lectionary offer some consideration of the role of being in the family in the development of our relationship with the Divine. The text from the First Book of Kings looks at the family of Solomon. Friar Jude Winkler provides the background that Solomon had many wives and some of them worshipped gods and were not monotheistic. The worship of the One True God was required of Israel in Covenant with God. When Solomon yielded to the pressure of those foreign wives in his family to worship to the pagan gods, the Lord advises him of his offense and the consequence to his descendants in loosing authority over the northern tribes of Israel. The notion of goodness within family as being part of the relationship of members of that family with God is in this passage. The consequence of the transgression of Solomon appears to be mitigated by the "reserve of goodness" with the the family of David. Friar Jude relates this to the Roman Catholic understanding of the 'communion of saints'. The Gospel of Mark tells of Jesus visit to the pagan region around Tyre. He is approached by a Syrophoenician woman seeking healing for her daughter. The contrast here is between the legalistic observances of those Pharisees "in the family" and the faith of the one outside the family who catches the attention and compassion of Jesus. The faith actions of those who do not follow the same path to the Divine as we, are often deep reminders to those in our traditional family to revisit our faith and faithfulness. We also see the greater family of humanity to which we all belong and who are all invited to the same intimacy with God that we pursue.