The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today challenge us to identify and prepare for the flood of chaos that is a leaven spreading destruction in the lives of our communities.
The reading from the Book of Genesis describes The Great Flood.
* [6:5–8:22] The story of the great flood is commonly regarded as a composite narrative based on separate sources woven together. To the Yahwist source, with some later editorial additions, are usually assigned 6:5–8; 7:1–5, 7–10, 12, 16b, 17b, 22–23; 8:2b–3a, 6–12, 13b, 20–22. The other sections are usually attributed to the Priestly writer. There are differences between the two sources: the Priestly source has two pairs of every animal, whereas the Yahwist source has seven pairs of clean animals and two pairs of unclean; the floodwater in the Priestly source is the waters under and over the earth that burst forth, whereas in the Yahwist source the floodwater is the rain lasting forty days and nights. In spite of many obvious discrepancies in these two sources, one should read the story as a coherent narrative. The biblical story ultimately draws upon an ancient Mesopotamian tradition of a great flood, preserved in the Sumerian flood story, the eleventh tablet of the Gilgamesh Epic, and (embedded in a longer creation story) the Atrahasis Epic. (Genesis, CHAPTER 6 | USCCB, n.d.)
Psalm 29 praises The Voice of God in a Great Storm.
* [Psalm 29] The hymn invites the members of the heavenly court to acknowledge God’s supremacy by ascribing glory and might to God alone (Ps 29:1–2a, 9b). Divine glory and might are dramatically visible in the storm (Ps 29:3–9a). The storm apparently comes from the Mediterranean onto the coast of Syria-Palestine and then moves inland. In Ps 29:10 the divine beings acclaim God’s eternal kingship. The Psalm concludes with a prayer that God will impart the power just displayed to the Israelite king and through the king to Israel. (Psalms, PSALM 29 | USCCB, n.d.)
In the Gospel of Mark, Jesus condemns the Yeast of the Pharisees and of Herod.
* [8:15] The leaven of the Pharisees…of Herod: the corruptive action of leaven (1 Cor 5:6–8; Gal 5:9) was an apt symbol of the evil dispositions both of the Pharisees (Mk 8:11–13; 7:5–13) and of Herod (Mk 6:14–29) toward Jesus. The disciples of Jesus are warned against sharing such rebellious attitudes toward Jesus; cf. Mk 8:17, 21. (Mark, CHAPTER 8 | USCCB, n.d.)
Nancy Shirley reflects on reading Viktor Frankl’s Man’s Search for Meaning. Frankl spent time not only in Auschwitz but also three other labor camps.
The Serenity Prayer speaks of having the wisdom to know the difference to have courage to change or serenity to accept things. Frankl asserted that Wisdom of knowing the difference was critical to survival - when we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves. Building on his teachings and insights, it was said
Spiritual warfare is a must to victory. A life of prayer defeats the enemy of your soul and gives you direct connection to the One who created you, God, and it builds your relationship with Jesus Christ.
My recent challenges in pursuing “serenity” pale in regards to what Viktor and so many others have endured. Once again, writing this reflection is a gift to me and puts so much in perspective. As you all know, music is what speaks most clearly to me, I couldn’t help but think of lines from the song, How Can I Keep From Singing?
No storm can shake my inmost calm while to that Rock I’m clinging
Since Christ is Lord of heaven and earth, how can I keep from singing (Shirley, 2025)
Don Schwager quotes “Heed the truth of the Gospel,” by Hilary of Poitiers (315-367 AD)
"The apostles are ordered to watch out for the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees. They are warned not to be involved in the disputes of the Jews. The works of the law are now to be viewed in the light of faith. They are forewarned that they, into whose time and age the truth had appeared incarnate, should judge nothing except which lies within the position of hope in likeness of the truth that is revealed. They are warned against allowing the doctrine of the Pharisees, who are unaware of Christ, to corrupt the effectiveness of the truth of the gospel." (excerpt from commentary ON MATTHEW 16.3) (Schwager, n.d.)
The Word Among Us Meditation on Mark 8:14-21 comments that Jesus wants to give us a new way to perceive the world and his work in it. Are we looking just with our physical eyes, or are we learning to see more deeply? How do we look beyond the immediate and obvious and try to appreciate how the Holy Spirit—whom we cannot see—is at work?
Ponder these questions. Thank God for the moments when you did look closely, and ask him to help you become even more attentive. Let Jesus, the Master Artist, open your eyes further so that you can behold the beauty of his work.
“Come, Holy Spirit, and open my eyes today!” (Meditation on Mark 8:14-21, 2025)
Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, introduces author Felicia Murrell who shares her experience of growing up with a strong sense of our story that was limited by the power of other stories.
How do we move toward each other in love, the truth of our authentic power? Perhaps, we welcome change instead of resisting it. To expand my worldview beyond the paradigm of Southern, Christian, rural or working poor to a larger cosmic frame that is inclusive, universal, affirming, and accepting, I needed to see the parts and the whole in all their majestic splendor and their messy complexity.
Transcendence is not a denial or detachment from my story or our story. It is an arduous commitment to truth-telling; to fully seeing; to empathetic listening that requires the work of living and be-ing in the world; of deep, intimate knowing; of moving beyond our theories and maps into relationship building. (Rohr, n.d.)
We consider the rabbinic saying that connects the nature of punishment to the sin as we pray about the impact of social and political chaos on our mission.
References
Genesis, CHAPTER 6 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved February 18, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/genesis/6?5
Mark, CHAPTER 8 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved February 18, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/mark/8?14
Meditation on Mark 8:14-21. (2025, February 18). The Word Among Us. Retrieved February 18, 2025, from https://wau.org/meditations/2025/02/18/1205841/
Psalms, PSALM 29 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved February 18, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/29?1
Rohr, R. (n.d.). The Impact of Our Story on Others. Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved February 18, 2025, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/the-impact-of-our-story-on-others/
Schwager, D. (n.d.). Beware of the Leaven of the Pharisees and Herod. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved February 18, 2025, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2025&date=feb18
Shirley, N. (2025, February 18). Creighton U. Daily Reflection. Creighton U. Daily Reflection. Retrieved February 18, 2025, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/021825.html
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