By Amala William, CSC –
Readings: 1Kgs 11: 4-13; Mk 7:24-30
Today’s readings invite us to ‘Be Faithful’ to the Lord at any cost. In the first reading the man of wisdom king Solomon was influenced by his many pagan wives. He forgets the Lord, who granted the mighty powers to exercise in his kingdom and fell prey in the hands of evil by not walking with the Lord. In the Gospel reading Jesus tests the Gentile woman’s faith, who was in need of God’s favor for her daughter.
The world looks forward to instant solutions for their problems. We see God’s intervention in both the readings visibly and invisibly. Solomon refused to see it, the woman saw the intention of Jesus and grabbed it for her daughter’s remedy. The woman’s struggle must have been indescribable coming from the gentile society, considered to be an outcast.
Getting into the sight of Jesus is a great deal. God does not want us to be slaves or run after him. When he seems to be not listening to our prayer, it doesn’t mean God is deaf. We are given time to scrutinize our request, is it necessary for me now or later? The woman was persistent and asked with humility of heart to Jesus. She won the heart of Jesus in getting her daughter well. The lesson for me is ‘when I have so much, I need to be humble enough in praising God and when I have nothing I need to have the humility in acknowledging his deeds in my life’. Lord, make me humble, to discern your will at all the moments of my life.