By Amala William csc –
Readings: 1Kgs 11:29-32, 12:19; Mk 7:24-30
In the first reading, we see King Solomon disobeying and turning away from the Lord. Solomon who was praised for his wisdom and faithfulness to God, now began to please his wife’s desires.
Yet, God in his mercy remembers the good deeds of David and spares Solomon and one of his sons. In the gospel, a gentile woman approaches Jesus for the healing of her daughter. Although Jesus’ response seemed to be harsh, her faith granted what she had implored.
In both the readings, we see a paradigm shift. King Solomon loses his privileged place in the sight of God because of his disobedience. The gentile woman overcame the temptation through her persistence in seeking Jesus. This proves the strong faith and sheer humility of that woman before God.
Even today, the temptation for us is to give up easily. We look for instant solutions; and when we do not get it, we take a shortcut which diverts us from Lord’s way. We ask God to do many things in our lives. The expectations are so high that it will happen miraculously in magnificent ways.
But God wants the miracle to be done with our cooperation, and not without us. He creates an atmosphere for us to get the most of what we ask for. At this moment, we can choose to either receive or reject it depending on our persistence which bears testimony to our faith in God. On this day, let us ask God to create more similar situations like in the gospel, so that we may become worthy disciples to witness faith in God.