The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today alert us to awareness of frailty in faith in unexpected ways and abundance of faith where we may not expect to find it.
The reading from the First Letter of Kings describes the End of Solomon’s Reign.
* [11:1–13] The next major unit of the Solomon story corresponds to 3:1–15. Like the earlier passage it includes the narrator’s remarks about Solomon’s foreign wives and his building projects, and a divine word commenting on Solomon’s conduct. However, where 3:1–15 is generally positive toward Solomon, the present passage is unrelievedly negative. Chronicles has no parallel to this material. (1 Kings, CHAPTER 11, n.d.)
Psalm 106 presents a confession of Israel’s Sins.
* [Psalm 106] Israel is invited to praise the God whose mercy has always tempered judgment of Israel (Ps 106:1–3). The speaker, on behalf of all, seeks solidarity with the people, who can always count on God’s fidelity despite their sin (Ps 106:4–5). Confident of God’s mercy, the speaker invites national repentance (Ps 106:6) by reciting from Israel’s history eight instances of sin, judgment, and forgiveness. (Psalms, PSALM 106 | USCCB, n.d.)
In the Gospel of Mark, Jesus responds to the Syrophoenician Woman’s Faith.
* [7:24–37] The withdrawal of Jesus to the district of Tyre may have been for a respite (Mk 7:24), but he soon moved onward to Sidon and, by way of the Sea of Galilee, to the Decapolis. These districts provided a Gentile setting for the extension of his ministry of healing because the people there acknowledged his power (Mk 7:29, 37). The actions attributed to Jesus (Mk 7:33–35) were also used by healers of the time.
* [7:27–28] The figure of a household in which children at table are fed first and then their leftover food is given to the dogs under the table is used effectively to acknowledge the prior claim of the Jews to the ministry of Jesus; however, Jesus accedes to the Gentile woman’s plea for the cure of her afflicted daughter because of her faith. (Mark, CHAPTER 7, n.d.)
Edward Morse comments that today’s readings provide both involve getting what we want. Sometimes getting what we want does not deliver what we really need.
We don’t know what ultimately happened to this woman or her family. Hopefully relief from demonic oppression allowed her to flourish and to continue to live a faith-filled life. But Solomon’s example shows us that the life of faith to which we are called is continuous, not episodic. God is patient with us, showing mercy toward our infidelity and errors, but we should not mistake his patient endurance as confirmation that we can live as we please. We cannot live unfaithfully with impunity. Sadly, the unfaithful choices we profess to value so much do not bring the satisfaction and joy we desire. Only a faithful choice, as shown by the Syrophoenician woman, leads to true joy and fulfillment.
Lord, help us grow in our faith. Let us learn from both of these examples. Awaken us from complacency and allow us to encourage one another to follow you closely. Thanks be to God. (Morse, 2024)
Don Schwager quotes “Great was the power of her faith, and for our learning,” by John Chrysostom 347-407 AD).
"See her humility as well as her faith! For he had called the Jews 'children,' but she was not satisfied with this. She even called them 'masters,' so far was she from grieving at the praises of others. She said, 'Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters' table.' Behold the woman's wisdom! She did not venture so much as to say a word against anyone else. She was not stung to see others praised, nor was she indignant to be reproached. Behold her constancy. When he answered, 'It is not fair to take the children's bread and throw it to the dogs,' she said, 'Yes, Lord.' He called them 'children'- but she called them 'masters.' He used the name of a dog, but she described the action of the dog. Do you see this woman's humility? Then compare her humility with the proud language of the Jews: 'We are Abraham's seed and were never in bondage to any man'(John 8:33). 'We are born of God' (John 8:41). But not so this woman. Rather, she calls herself a dog and them masters. So for this reason she became a child. For what does Christ then say? 'O woman, great is your faith.'
"So we might surmise that this is the reason he put her off, in order that he might proclaim aloud this saying and that he might crown the woman: 'Be it done for you as you desire.' This means 'Your faith, indeed, is able to effect even greater things than these. Nevertheless be it unto you even as you wish.' This voice was at one with the voice that said, 'Let the heaven be,' and it was (Genesis 1:1). 'And her daughter was made whole from that very hour.' Do you see how this woman, too, contributed not a little to the healing of her daughter? For note that Christ did not say, 'Let your little daughter be made whole,' but 'Great is your faith, be it done for you as you desire.' These words were not uttered at random, nor were they flattering words, but great was the power of her faith, and for our learning.
He left the certain test and demonstration, however, to the issue of events. Her daughter accordingly was immediately healed." (excerpt from COMMENTARY ON MATTHEW, Homily 52.3) (Schwager, n.d.)
The Word Among Us Meditation on 1 Kings 11:4-13 comments that the stories of David and Solomon show us that God can see into the deepest desires of our hearts. He doesn’t look just at our actions; he also sees our intentions and motives. He sees how much we want to love him, even if we struggle to live out that love. And he always pours out grace to help us stay faithful.
So even if you sin, and sin grievously, take heart. Your Father won’t stop loving you. He won’t stop offering you his mercy and his power to change. More than anything, he wants to purify your heart so that you can love him more and follow him more faithfully.
“Lord, I place my heart in your hands. Teach me to live in your love!” (Meditation on 1 Kings 11:4-13, n.d.)
Friar Jude Winkler describes how the wisdom of Solomon was accompanied by his acceptance of the pagan practices of some of his wives that included child sacrifice. Building up a reservoir of grace for descendents is suggested in the story of Solomon. Friar Jude ponders the response of Jesus and asks how we treat others in acknowledging the faith they demonstrate.
Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, introduces Sikh activist Valarie Kaur who describes what happens when Love becomes the ethic and the story by which we live. Author and civil rights activist Grace Lee Boggs (1915–2015) wrote about the power of collective commitment.
When people come together voluntarily to create their own vision, they begin wishing it to come into being with such passion that they begin creating an active path leading to it from the present. The spirit and the way to make the spirit live coalesce. Instead of seeing ourselves only as victims, we begin to see ourselves as part of the continuing struggle of human beings, not only to survive but to evolve into more human human beings.[2]
Valarie Kaur continues:
I’m seeing people waking up, being in relationship, grieving together, raging together, marching together, reimagining their own area of public life, their own sphere of influence in ways that I never imagined possible before. In those acts, in those moments and those gatherings around fierce love, I feel like I see glimpses of the nation, the world, that is wanting to be born.…
If we can create and nurture and inspire more and more of those containers, every school, every home, every workplace, every church, every house of worship, every neighborhood can become a pocket of that kind of beloved community, because this love stuff is not saintly. It’s practical. It’s pragmatic…. (Rohr, 2024)
When we implore the Spirit for an increase in faith, we may be nudged to discover that it is close and within the people already in our lives.
References
Mark, CHAPTER 7. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved February 8, 2024, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/mark/7?24
Meditation on 1 Kings 11:4-13. (n.d.). The Word Among Us: Homepage. Retrieved February 8, 2024, from https://wau.org/meditations/2024/02/08/891224/
Morse, E. (2024, February 8). Creighton U. Daily Reflection. Online Ministries. Retrieved February 8, 2024, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/020824.html
1 Kings, CHAPTER 11. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved February 8, 2024, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/1kings/11?4
Psalms, PSALM 106 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved February 8, 2024, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/106?3
Rohr, R. (2024, February 8). Love Is the Protagonist — Center for Action and Contemplation. CAC Daily Meditations. Retrieved February 8, 2024, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/love-is-the-protagonist/
Schwager, D. (n.d.). The Demon Has Left Your Daughter. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved February 8, 2024, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2024&date=feb8
No comments:
Post a Comment