13th Week, Tuesday, July 4th: St. Elizabeth of Portugal
Genesis 19:15-29 / Matthew 8:23-27
God punishes two cities: Fire destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.
The key sentence in today's reading is the last one. It says that God saved Lot because of Abraham. Lot was Abraham's nephew, and it was through relatives like him that God's promise to Abraham of numerous descendants would be realized. Some Bible readers think an earthquake (common in the area) could have touched off the fiery destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. They point to references of "sulphurous fire" and "dense smoke over the land." Coal and petroleum deposits (still found where the two cities were located) could have exploded during the earthquake and produced the description in the Bible. Once again, God's action in human history could have occurred within the context of ordinary events and circumstances.
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How do we look upon God's providence in human history and in our own personal lives? "Do not fear nor be dismayed, for the LORD, your God, is with you wherever you go." Joshua 1:9
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Saint Elizabeth of Portugal
Feast day July 4
Elizabeth was a Spanish princess when she married Denis, King of Portugal, about 1282. Elizabeth was very generous to her people. She built a hospital, an orphanage, and a shelter for travellers who were poor. She also spent time and effort to make peace among the fighting members of her family.
The king was a good ruler but not a very good husband and father. Elizabeth wore herself out trying to make peace between the king and their only son, who was warring against his father. She cared for her husband during his long illness. After he died, she joined the Third Order of Saint Francis. In art, Elizabeth often holds an olive branch or a dove.
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The Bible gives us Sodom and Gomorrah as the typical cities of sin. We have to recognize the Lord’s presence and to keep trusting in him, when storms rage within us and in our world as they threaten to engulf us and make us ask: “Lord, where are you?” These may be the storms of temptation, of doubts and fears regarding the faith, of threatened loyalty. The winds of change too, may be howling typhoons tossing the bark of the Church around, before we can enter the calm waters of a renewed Church. The Lord is there, we should not be afraid.
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The 1st reading gives the account of the destruction of the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. It's a well-known Bible story, partly because it is a fire and brimstone kind of story about destruction and punishment for sin. But, it is also a story that has a mystery to it that would raise immediate questions. It is about Lot's wife who turned into a pillar of salt just because she looked back. Several reasons were given for this.
One common view of Lot's wife turning to salt was as punishment for disobeying the angels' warning. By looking back at the "evil cities" she betrayed her secret longing for that way of life. She was deemed unworthy to be saved and thus turned to a pillar of salt.
Another view is that when Lot's wife looked back, she turned to a pillar of salt upon the sight of God who was descending down to rain destruction upon Sodom and Gomorrah.
One reason for Lot's wife looking back, and was to check if her daughters, who were married to men of Sodom, were coming or not. Instead, she saw God descending to rain fire and brimstone upon Sodom and Gomorrah. Thus, the sight of God turned her into a pillar of salt.
Another view has it that because Lot's wife sinned with salt, she was punished with salt. On the night the two angels visited Lot, he requested of his wife to prepare a feast for them. Not having any salt, Lot's wife asked of her neighbours for salt which so happened to alert them of the presence of their guests, resulting in the mob action that endangered Lot's family.
Whatever the reason it might be, the fact is that our lives must be directed toward God. If not then we will be easily distracted and lose focus and lose our directions.
Especially in the storms of life, we must keep our focus on Jesus and keep heading toward Him. Only Jesus can keep us from danger and from sinking into the salty waters.
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Prayer: Lord our God, you let your Son reassure us with a word of reprimand: “Why are you afraid, people of little faith?” Let that little faith grow in us and make us absolutely certain that you are with us in your creation, in the dark and in the night, in the wind and in the storm, even in the depths of death. For you are the God who said: “I am there for you,” now and forever.
