God in the Midst of Darkness (Readings for July 8, 2018)

Key:

What these passages tell us about God

What these passages tell us to do

What these passages tell us to avoid

Commentary

 1 EZ 2:2-5

As the LORD spoke to me, the spirit entered into me and,and set me on my feet,and I heard the one who was speaking say to me: Son of man, I am sending you to the Israelites, rebels who have rebelled against me; they and their ancestors have revolted against me to this very day. Hard of face and obstinate of heartare they to whom I am sending you.  But you shall say to them: Thus says the LORD GOD!  And whether they heed or resist—for they are a rebellious house—they shall know that a prophet has been among them.

Responsorial Psalm PS 123:1-2, 2, 3-4

R. (2cd) Our eyes are fixed on the Lord, pleading for his mercy.
To you I lift up my eyes who are enthroned in heaven —As the eyes of servants are on the hands of their masters.
R. Our eyes are fixed on the Lord, pleading for his mercy.
As the eyes of a maid are on the hands of her mistress, so are our eyes on the LORD, our God, till he have pity on us.
R. Our eyes are fixed on the Lord, pleading for his mercy.
Have pity on us, O LORD, have pity on us, for we are more than sated with contempt; our souls are more than sated with the mockery of the arrogant, with the contempt of the proud.
R. Our eyes are fixed on the Lord, pleading for his mercy.

Reading 2 2 COR 12:7-10

Brothers and sisters: That I, Paul, might not become too elated, because of the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, an angel of Satan, to beat me, to keep me from being too elated.  Three times I begged the Lord about this, that it might leave me, but he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness.” I will rather boast most gladly of my weaknesses, in order that the power of Christ may dwell with me. Therefore, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and constraints, for the sake of Christ; for when I am weak, then I am strong.

Alleluia CF. LK 4:18

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, for he sent me to bring glad tidings to the poor.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel MK 6:1-6

Jesus departed from there and came to his native place, accompanied by his disciples. When the sabbath came he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were astonished. They said, “Where did this man get all this? What kind of wisdom has been given him? What mighty deeds are wrought by his hands! Is he not the carpenter, the son of Mary, and the brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon? And are not his sisters here with us?” And they took offense at him. 

Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his native place and among his own kin and in his own house.” So he was not able to perform any mighty deed there, apart from curing a few sick people by laying his hands on them. He was amazed at their lack of faith.

1.    The brightness of God’s love is highlighted by the darkness of the world. God reaches out, even to folks who are likely to be unreceptive (first reading, gospel). His power and goodness are on display even in those adverse settings (gospel). He helps those discounted by the skeptical (alleluiaverse, gospel). John 1:4-5 puts it well:  Jesus’ “light shines in the darkness and darkness could not overpower it” (NJB). 

2.    How do we respond to that? Today’s readings state, or suggest, several responses:

A.   Do not let the darkness/adversity make you despondent, but instead focus on God’s presence/helps in the midst of it (second reading).

B.    Come to God in prayer and keep coming; that is one of the primary ways God delivers His goodness in tough situations. That is how St. Paul’s adversity was turned to his (and our) good in the second reading

C.    Focus expectantly on God. That is the theme of today’s psalm. That seems to be how the folks healed in today’s gospel received their healing in the midst of that otherwise toxic situation.

D.   Respond to pride/skepticism with mercy. That’s what we see God doing in the first reading and the gospel. How do we do that? Two ways come to mind. First, follow the principles God’s word gives for dealing with those who treat us poorly. Scriptures laying those principles out are gathered in Wisdom Principles—How to Deal With Those Who Do You Wrong. Second, pray for and about them, as Jesus instructs in Matthew 5:44 and Luke 6:28. Some scriptures to guide our prayers are collected in:

Praying for Leaders: Why, When, and How

Praying for Leaders: That They be Fair, Honest, and not Corrupt

Praying for Leaders: That They Be Sensitive to the Weak and Disadvantaged

Praying for Leaders: That They Truly "Serve" and That They Do So with Humility

Praying for Leaders: That they be Able to Delegate/Rely on Subordinates and to Pick Honest Ones

Praying for Leaders: That they Recognize the Importance of Wise Counsel

The scriptures collected in those posts mostly apply with equal benefit to leaders and non-leaders, so they will guide us even if the folks we need to pray for are not leaders.