6th Week, Tuesday, Feb 14;
Genesis 6:5-8; 7:1-5, 10 / Mark 8:14-21
Sin spreads; God was sorry that he made human beings.
In July 1984, James Oliver Huberty took a gun and drove to
McDonald's restaurant in San Ysidro, California. Seventy-eight minutes
later, 21 people lay dead and 19 more were injured in the worst massacre
in our nation's history.
In an interview with KFMB-TV of San Diego, Huberty's
wife said her husband got up from the bed he had been sitting on, put on
his pants and shirt, and headed for the door. "Where are you going,
honey?" she asked. "I'm going to hunt humans," he answered. This
kind of madness helps us appreciate God's words in today's reading when he
says. "1 am sorry that I made them humans."
****
What are we doing about sin in our lives? What are we doing
about sin in our world in general? What can we do about it? "Adam ate the
apple, and our teeth still ache." Hungarian proverb
****
The memory of big inundations was strong in the lands and
cultures of Asia Minor. The Bible ascribes them to God’s punishment of the
growing evil in the world. Yet at the same time he spares the innocent.
The theme of yesterday is continued in today’s reading. We
should not ask for extraordinary signs but learn to see God’s presence and
saving action in the events of life. The apostles have seen the signs Jesus
worked among them. We, too, should open our eyes and ears to the good things
God does among us.
****
When the phone rings, we can do two things. We can either
take the call, or we can just ignore the call. But one thing for sure, and that
is, we know that there was a call. The call to repentance and conversion is
constantly given by God. He calls out to us to turn away from our sinfulness
and to come back to Him.
The 1st reading might have sounded harsh and may have given
us the impression of a vengeful and punishing God. But when we read the whole
story of Noah and the flood, we will see that God had issued call after call,
warning after warning, to His people.
If punishment comes, it was not because God was vengeful and wanted to wipe out
His creation. It was because His creatures did not remember Him. They forgot
who was Creator and who was a creature. They did not heed His call and it was
their own sins that punished them.
Hence the important factor for repentance and conversion is
always this remembering. Remembering that God is our Creator and provider.
Remembering, that God is merciful and compassionate and forgiving. Remembering
that He fed the thousands when they were hungry. Remember that it is only
when we hunger and thirst for Him alone, then He will fill us with His saving
love.
***
Encountering Christ:
1. Bad
Leaven: It does not take much yeast to get dough to rise. That
leavening permeates the starch of the dough, which makes it grow and expand. It
is an image Jesus uses here to illustrate what can happen when the leaven of
unbelief is deposited in our souls. It grows. It expands. It corrupts—that is
the leaven of the Pharisees and Herodians. We need to examine ourselves for any
of this incipient malignancy.
2. Spiritual
Senses: Jesus was offering his disciples some suggestions for
combating this negative interior growth. He talked about eyes that do not see
and ears that do not hear. If the spiritual senses are unengaged, then the bad
leaven will continue to grow unchecked. But by the simple act of opening our
spiritual eyes and ears, we can welcome new graces to help us begin to see
things that we missed before. When we can start seeing how active the Lord is
in our lives, the negative leaven will lose its power to corrupt.
3. Salvific
Remembrance: After Jesus’s instruction, it seemed that the disciples
were still struggling to understand. Another way to combat the bad leaven and
activate the spiritual senses is to remember the blessings that our Lord has
sent us: “Do you not remember, when I broke the five loaves for the five
thousand?” Salvific remembrance is an important aspect of the Judeo-Christian
outlook. Looking back to creation through salvation history gives the Catholic
the macro view that combats the bad leaven. It is imperative, though, to bring
this understanding to a personal level—to remember how many times God came to
our rescue, gave us a light, opened a door, extinguished a danger. When we keep
remembering, the bad leaven is contained and left sterile.
Conversing with Christ: Lord, how much bad
leaven is in my soul? Help me to recognize that growing doubts are a sign of my
tuning out and forgetting your marvelous deeds in my life. Permeate my soul
with the leaven of spiritual insight and constant remembrance of the goodness
of your gifts.
Resolution: Lord, today by your grace I will
take a closer look at the negative leavening of a growing frustration in my
life. I will take a few minutes to try to engage my spiritual vision and
salvific remembrance. Does that help my perspective?
For Further Reflection: “I will recall the deeds
of the Lord; yes, recall your wonders of old. I will ponder all your works; on
your exploits I will meditate” (Psalms 77:12).
****
Prayer
Lord our God, when we do not see clearly in life, when
suffering comes our way, we tend to blame you or people. Help us to realize
clearly how much of the evil around us comes from within ourselves, from our
greed for riches and power, from our self-complacency and selfishness. Speak to
us your word of forgiveness and change us from a silent majority of evil into
solidarity of love, by the grace of Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.
***
Feast day February 14
Cyril and Methodius were brothers, born in Thessalonika,
Greece. Cyril (825–869), a philosopher, studied in Constantinople and was
ordained a priest. Methodius (826–884), for five years the governor of a Slavic
region of the empire, became a monk. In 861, the two brothers went as
missionaries to Russia.
In 863, Cyril and Methodius were sent to Moravia, in Eastern Europe. They began translating the Gospels into the Slavic tongue. To do this, Cyril devised an alphabet that is still used in Russia and in some Slavic countries. Cyril and Methodius ministered to the people as one of them. They celebrated Mass in Slavic. But some German bishops accused them of many things, so in 869, Cyril and Methodius were called to Rome to defend their actions. So well did they do this that not only were they told to continue preaching and using Slavic in the liturgy, but they were also to be consecrated bishops. Cyril died before he could be consecrated bishop; Methodius was consecrated, however, and then returned to Moravia. He was deposed by a German synod and imprisoned. Methodius was released two years later by the order of the pope. Again, in 878, he was called to Rome to defend his actions, and again he was approved. For the rest of his life, Methodius endured the anger and misunderstanding of the German clergy.
