Wisdom and understanding

When I turn to God to ask for help, wisdom is not often at the top of my list. Help to find the car keys seems to be my most urgent request these days!

It’s rare for me to stop and think about what I truly need. I tend to ask God for help either in the middle of a crisis or at the end of a long day when clear thinking and a sense of the bigger picture are well beyond my grasp.

Perhaps Solomon’s wisdom lay in his ability to reflect on what he truly needed. He knew that it was important to consider the larger community and his place in it. How might my requests change if I do the same?

God, may I recognize my need for wisdom more often.

Today’s readings invite us to ponder deeply. Job speaks of human life as akin to slavery, a time of emptiness and misery that passes like a breath. Yet we know that, despite many trials, Job never lost faith in God. When Paul speaks of his own calling to proclaim the gospel, he says he has made himself “a slave to all” in order to fulfill his mission.

Mark’s gospel shows us a day in the life of Jesus. He visits the synagogue and then goes to Simon and Andrew’s home, where he heals an ailing mother-in-law. Her fever dissipates at the touch of his hand! We can imagine him chatting companionably with friends until they gather around a table to share a meal. At dusk, crowds gather around the door, seeking to be healed. With compassion, Jesus cured “many who were sick.” Perhaps he sleeps awhile, but before dawn, Jesus goes to a deserted place to pray. No day is complete without a time of intimate communion with his Father.

Each one of today’s readings holds a message for us. In trying times we must be people of faith. Our mission is to passionately live the good news, for we may well be the only gospel some people ever experience. Furthermore, we are called to spend time in intimate communion with God. How good it is to sing God’s praises!

Barbara K. D'Artois