Only through prayer

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary invite us to contemplate wisdom that we experience in being open in our relationship with God.

Seeing deeper

The Book of Sirach attributes deep wisdom to a gift of God.

* [1:1–10] This brief poem serves as an introduction to the book. The Lord is the source and preserver of all wisdom, which he pours out upon all. See Jb 28:20–28; Prv 2:6; 8:22–31; Wis 7:25–27.1 

In the Gospel from Mark, Jesus corrects the self assuredness of His disciples as He finds faith in turning to God in prayer.

* [9:14–29] The disciples’ failure to effect a cure seems to reflect unfavorably on Jesus (Mk 9:14–18, 22). In response Jesus exposes their lack of trust in God (Mk 9:19) and scores their lack of prayer (Mk 9:29), i.e., of conscious reliance on God’s power when acting in Jesus’ name. For Matthew, see note on Mt 17:14–20. Lk 9:37–43 centers attention on Jesus’ sovereign power.2 

Jay Carney realized that there are depths to the human condition that extend far beyond our usual rational comprehension. He shares walking from a faith experience with lingering doubts and lingering ignorance. He also walked away with a newfound sense of humility; the world was bigger than his own past experience of it.

 In a spirit of humility, then, let me close by returning to today’s opening words from Sirach. “All wisdom comes from the Lord, and with him it remains forever, and is before all time. The sand of the seashore, the drops of rain, the days or eternity: who can number these? Heaven’s height, earth’s breadth, the depths of the abyss: who can explore these?” May God call us more deeply into the depths and riches of a divine wisdom that surpasses and even confounds human expectations.3

Don Schwager quotes “Emerging faith seeks maturity,” by Augustine of Hippo, 354-430 A.D.

"In saying, 'When the Son of Man shall come, shall he find faith upon the earth?' our Lord spoke of that faith which is fully matured, which is so seldom found on earth. The church's faith is full, for who would come here if there were no fullness of faith? And whose faith when fully matured would not move mountains (Matthew 17:20; 21:22)? Look at the apostles themselves, who would not have left all they had, trodden under foot this world's hope, and followed the Lord, if they had not had proportionally great faith. And yet if they had already experienced a completely matured faith, they would have not said to the Lord, 'Increase our faith' (Luke 17:5). Rather we find here an emerging faith, which is not yet full faith, in that father who when he had presented to the Lord his son to be cured of an evil spirit and was asked whether he believed, answered, 'Lord, I believe, help me in my unbelief' (Mark 9:24). 'Lord,' says he, 'I believe.' 'I believe': therefore there was faith; but 'help me in my unbelief': therefore there was not full faith (Hebrews 10:22)." (excerpt from  SERMONS ON NEW TESTAMENT LESSONS 65)4 

The Word Among Us Meditation on Sirach 1:1-10 observes that knowledge is not the wisdom Sirach is talking about. Friar Jude Winkler explains the omission of Sirach from the Hebrew and Protestant canon. Exercising authority in their own right was the error of the apostles failure to heal. Friar Jude observes that the apostles did not get the role of prayer in dying to self until they confronted the Cross.

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, comments that before conversion, we tend to think of God as “out there.” After transformation, we don’t look out at reality as if it is hidden in the distance. We look out from reality! Our life is participating in God’s Life. We are living in Christ. As Paul tells the Colossians, “your life is hidden with Christ in God” (3:3). Paul fell to the ground, and he heard a voice saying, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?’ He asked, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ The voice answered, ‘I am Jesus and you are persecuting me’” (Acts 9:3-5).

 He fell to the ground, and he heard a voice saying, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?’ He asked, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ The voice answered, ‘I am Jesus and you are persecuting me’” (Acts 9:3-5).
This choice of words is pivotal; Paul must have wondered: “Why does he say ‘me’ when I’m persecuting these people?” Paul gradually comes to his understanding of the Body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:12) as an organic, ontological union between Christ and those who are loved by Christ—which Paul eventually realizes is everyone and everything. This is why Paul becomes “the apostle to the nations” (or “Gentiles”).6

Our connection to the Wisdom beyond our experience is through our relationship as disciples of Jesus who brings us into His mystical Body.

References

1	(n.d.). Sirach chapter 1 - United States Conference of Catholic Bishops Retrieved February 25, 2019, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/bible/Sirach/1:1
2	(n.d.). Mark, chapter 9. Retrieved February 25, 2019, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/bible/mark/9:14
3	(n.d.). Creighton U Daily Reflections .... Retrieved February 25, 2019, from http://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/daily.html
4	(n.d.). Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved February 25, 2019, from https://dailyscripture.servantsoftheword.org/
5	(n.d.). 7th Week in Ordinary Time - Mass Readings and Catholic Daily .... Retrieved February 25, 2019, from https://wau.org/meditations/2019/02/25
6	(2019, February 24). Daily Meditations Archives — Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved February 25, 2019, from https://cac.org/category/daily-meditations/2019/02/