1 Kings 11:29-32; 12:19 / Mark 7:31-37
The twelve tribes split: Solomon’s sins
affected the people.
One of the most
critical battles in history was the Battle of Waterloo in Belgium in 1813. Had
the outcome of that battle been different, the history of the world may have
been quite different. At Waterloo,. England’s Duke of Wellington defeated
Napoleon and his French army.
Wellington had great respect for Napoleon. He is
reported to have said that Napoleon’s presence on the battlefield was worth
40,000 soldiers. For better or for worse, our leaders have a great impact on
us.
We see this in the
case of Solomon. Much of the blame for the split-up of the twelve tribes of
Israel was due to him.
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What kind of an
impact are we having on our own families by Our leadership or our lack or it? “Our
chief want in life is someone who shall make us do what we can.” Ralph Waldo
Emerson
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A breakup or a separation is usually an emotionally
draining affair. Probably scorching words were used with the parties involved
being angry and hurt.
And after it is over, no one would want to talk about it or
hear about it anymore. As much as there are resentment and bitterness, there is
no point in opening up those wounds anymore.
In the 1st reading, we hear of how Israel was separated
from the House of David. The prophet Ahijah simply tore his new cloak into
twelve strips and gave ten strips to Jeroboam, and that was the sign of the
separation.
Not much was said, but there was also not much worth
hearing. The people brought this on themselves and there is nothing they could
say to bring the nation back together again.
In the gospel, we heard of Jesus healing a deaf man who
also had an impediment in his speech.
But the man is also a symbol of the people of God, a people
who are deaf to the voice of the Lord and whose mouths do not give the Lord
glory and praise.
In healing the man's deafness and his speech impediment,
Jesus showed that He came so as to open the ears of the people so that they can
listen to the voice of the Lord and not harden their hearts.
Jesus came to open their mouths so that they can sing
praises to the Lord and give thanks for His wonderful deeds.
When we sin, we separate ourselves from God and we close
our ears to the voice of God and no prayer comes from our mouths.
Jesus came to forgive
and to save and turn our hearts back to God, so that our ears can hear again
what the Lord our God has to say to us and with our mouths we will respond with
praise and thanksgiving.
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Friday of 5th Week:
Liturgy
ABLE TO HEAR
Introduction
Wise as he was before,
Solomon in his later years became deaf to God; this was the cause of the
division of his kingdom.
A sign that Jesus is the
Promised Savior is that he first goes to the poor, the sick, the marginalized
people, for they need him most. Not only material poverty is meant. The deaf
and the mute, the hard of hearing and the stammers are we who are shut up
within ourselves, often closed to God and to one another. Jesus comes to open
our ears and mouths to the words and deeds of God, that we may listen to his
message and respond to his love, and that we may also hear those who are poor
and speak to them. Note that this miracle too happens in pagan territory. Let
Jesus in the Eucharist heal us and commit us to God and people.
Opening Prayer
Our saving God,
Jesus your Son made those
who were deaf hear
and those who were dumb
speak.
Make us see that often we
are stutterers
and hard of hearing.
Open our ears to the
message of your Son
that it may stir our
hearts and change our lives.
Loosen our tongues to
proclaim
the great things you do
for us
through your Son, Jesus
Christ,
our Lord and Savior for
ever.
Commentary
The kingdom of David, at
this early stage, is about to be divided in two. In a symbolic action, the
prophet Ahijah tears his cloak into twelve pieces. Only one piece will go to
Solomon’s legitimate heir. The other eleven pieces, signifying the remaining
eleven tribes of Israel, will form a new kingdom, greater in number and in size
than Judah in the south. The sign was an omen of troubles to come. Rebellion
was close at hand; the house of David would be assailed. The short-lived United
Kingdom was approaching its end.
The prophetic word had
already come to Solomon. There had been sufficient warning. But it was also
clear that to reject the teaching of Yahweh was to invite disaster.
Can we honestly say that
we have never understood God’s moral guidance? Hardly, though it may help to
have a spiritual guide or director to assist us in discerning God’s will. We
should try to choose a person who is well equipped to understand us, to help us
hold a mirror to ourselves, even if the counsel we receive is not what we
expected.
The man in the Gospel
today had trouble communicating. Jesus corrects the deficit. If we have trouble
understanding, by turning to God or a spiritual director, the message will
become clearer. It is always worth the effort.
Points to Ponder
Listening to what God
asks
Hearing impairment
The role of a spiritual
director
Intercessions
– For the Church, that we
may not only love the poor and care for them, but also protest with courage
when they are trampled upon, we pray:
– For educators in the
faith – priests, sisters, catechists, teachers – that they themselves may
listen to God’s word, and then pass it on with conviction and love, we pray:
– For those who are deaf
and blind to other people and to their love and needs, that their eyes and
hearts may be opened to the treasures of love and sharing, we pray:
Prayer over the Gifts
Lord, our God, merciful
Father,
you set the table of your
Son
for rich and poor alike.
By the strength of this
bread of life,
do not allow us to remain
deaf
to your voice crying out
in the needs of the poor
and the oppressed.
Teach us and help us to
speak to them
not just words of pity
but deeds of justice,
dignity and love.
May this be the sign
that your Son is alive
among us,
he who is our Lord and
Savior for ever.
Prayer after Communion
Saving God,
in your Son, Jesus
Christ, you have chosen
what is poor and weak in
this world,
to be rich in faith and
love
and to be heirs to your
kingdom.
Jesus did all things
well.
Speak through us who were
once
faint-hearted and
tongue-tied
deeds of mercy and hope,
for you have healed and
freed us all
through Jesus Christ, our
Lord.
Blessing
Jesus has been with us in
this Eucharistic celebration to bring us out of our isolation and to open us,
in respect and love, to God and to our neighbor, that is, to all. Like Jesus,
may we become available particularly to the poorest among us and let them feel
that, with God, we too care. May Almighty God give you this openness and bless
you, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
