6th Week, Wednesday, Feb 16th - Reflection & Liturgy
James 1:19-27 / Mark 8:22-26
A
zealous young salesman was assigned to a rural area in the South. One day he
came upon a farmer sitting in a rocking chair on the front porch of his rundown
house. After introducing himself, the salesman launched into his sales pitch: “Sir,
I have a book for you that is worth its weight in gold. It describes how to
farm your land ten times better than you’re now doing.” The farmer continued to
rock back and forth. Then, after a long pause, he said, “Young feller, I know
how to farm my land ten times better than I’m now doing. My problem isn’t
knowing what to do. My problem is doing it.”
****
To
what extent are we hearers of the Word, and not doers of it?
What
keeps us from doing the Word? “Wisdom is knowing what to do. Skill is knowing
how to do it. Virtue is doing it, Thomas
Jefferson
****
Taking things for granted come so
easily for us. Things go from appreciation to depreciation as quickly as ice
cream melts in the noon-day sun. Yes, we take so many things for granted that
it is only when we lose it then we will desperately look for it or mourn over
its loss. And if we ever lose one or more of our abilities, we would certainly
find it difficult to accept and even more difficult to get used to it.
The ability to see would be
something that is probably at the top of our treasured list. And yet we take it
for granted so often. Like what the 1st reading said, we look at our own
features in a mirror and then, after a quick look, we hurry off and immediately
forgetting what we looked like.
That analogy is used to describe
another ability that we so often take for granted - the ability to listen, and,
in the spiritual sense, to listen to the Word of God and obeying it and putting
it into action.
And the 1st reading also addressed
the ability to speak. A person who thinks he is serving God and yet has not
learnt to control his tongue is only deceiving himself. Yes, we have the
abilities to see, to listen and to speak, and yet we take it so often for
granted and we do not use them properly.
In the gospel, Jesus healed the
blind man. But the healing process seems to be gradual, with the blind man
seeing vaguely initially and then seeing clearing later.
May we let Jesus open our senses and
abilities so that we see deeper, listen clearer so that what we speak will give
praise to the Lord.
****
Wednesday of 6th Week
- LITURGY
TRUE WORSHIP
Introduction
James tells us that if we believe in a message of life and
hope, real faith and real worship of God consist in doing what we believe in,
and in reflecting in our attitude and deeds God’s love for us by being
concerned about people far and near, especially those who are neglected and
suffer much. Is this the kind of faith we have?
As a sign that he came to heal – that is, to make whole
again – to bring forgiveness and life to the whole person, Jesus restores the
sight of the blind, makes the deaf hear again, even raises the dead back to
life. He does not only bring good news of hope and healing, he is that Good
News, he embodies it in himself and shares it with people in word and deed.
Opening Prayer
Lord God, loving Father, through Jesus Christ, your living
Word you address yourself today to each of us personally and as a community of
faith. May we live as we believe as hearers and doers of your word, and like
you and your Son, be compassionate and care for those often neglected by
society, the needy, the abandoned, the distressed. We ask this through Jesus
Christ, our Lord.
Commentary
Human anger can take a dreadful toll. James inveighs
strongly against it in today’s first reading. We are told to be good listeners
and slow responders. Taking time to calmly deal with a conflict situation gives
our anger a chance to subside and helps us more clearly discern the most
appropriate way to respond. The major guide in our human response should be the
word of God. When faced with a critical or conflict situation, the best
question to ask is, “How would Christ deal with this?” It is useless to hear
the word of God but not act on it. Certain books of the Bible speak to us
directly about appropriate behaviour. We should return to these books regularly
for insights on how to respond like Christians to difficult situations. James
also gives us a formula for the authentic worship of God: looking after the
poor of this world, the “widows and orphans” who, in traditional societies,
were at a severe disadvantage because they had been left with no male provider.
All who have been left imperiled by misfortune have a strong claim on our
concern. To serve the poor, we ourselves must remain unsullied by the enticements
of this world. We must walk the path of the just and, in the words of the
psalmist, speak truth from the heart.
Points to Ponder
Reflection before acting
The experience of anger
The widows and orphans of today
Authentic worship of God
Intercessions
– For the Church, that like Christ it may preach the Good
News to the poor and set the downtrodden free, we pray:
– For our friends and enemies in need, that we may open our
hearts and hands to improve their lot and to restore their faith in the justice
and friendship of people, we pray:
– For those who live in abundance, that they may become more
concerned about the needy and the quality of life than about amassing more
wealth, we pray:
Prayer over the Gifts
Lord our God, the message of Jesus, your Son, became flesh
and blood in his life and death. He lived as he taught. In this bread and this
wine, we place ourselves and our willingness to let his death and life become
flesh and blood in us, that we may proclaim by what we are and do that he is
our Lord and Savior for ever.
Prayer after
Communion
Lord our God, we have
listened to your Son and joined him in his thanks and praise to you. Come to
the aid of our frailty and let Jesus bring you through us the pure, unspoiled
worship of helping our brothers and sisters in need and of breaking the bonds
of evil, that we may be free with the freedom of Jesus Christ, our Lord.
Blessing
Among
the signs of God, we have to learn to see the destitute, about whom Jesus says,
“What you do to the least of your brothers and sisters, you do to me.” They are
Jesus for us. May God bless you, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
