Catholic Caucus: Daily Mass Readings, 02-10-06, Memorial, St. Scholalstica, virgin

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February 10, 2006

Memorial of Saint Scholastica, virgin

Psalm: Friday 9

Reading I
1 Kgs 11:29-32

Jeroboam left Jerusalem,
and the prophet Ahijah the Shilonite met him on the road.
The two were alone in the area,
and the prophet was wearing a new cloak.
Ahijah took off his new cloak,
tore it into twelve pieces, and said to Jeroboam:

“Take ten pieces for yourself;
the LORD, the God of Israel, says:
‘I will tear away the kingdom from Solomon’s grasp
and will give you ten of the tribes.
One tribe shall remain to him for the sake of David my servant,
and of Jerusalem,
the city I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel.’”

Israel went into rebellion against David’s house to this day.

Responsorial Psalm
Ps 81:10-11ab, 12-13, 14-15

R. (11a and 9a) I am the Lord, your God: hear my voice.
“There shall be no strange god among you
nor shall you worship any alien god.
I, the LORD, am your God
who led you forth from the land of Egypt.”
R. I am the Lord, your God: hear my voice.
“My people heard not my voice,
and Israel obeyed me not;
So I gave them up to the hardness of their hearts;
they walked according to their own counsels.”
R. I am the Lord, your God: hear my voice.
“If only my people would hear me,
and Israel walk in my ways,
Quickly would I humble their enemies;
against their foes I would turn my hand.”
R. I am the Lord, your God: hear my voice.

Gospel
Mk 7:31-37

Jesus left the district of Tyre
and went by way of Sidon to the Sea of Galilee,
into the district of the Decapolis.
And people brought to him a deaf man who had a speech impediment
and begged him to lay his hand on him.
He took him off by himself away from the crowd.
He put his finger into the man’s ears
and, spitting, touched his tongue;
then he looked up to heaven and groaned, and said to him,
“Ephphatha!” (that is, “Be opened!”)
And immediately the man’s ears were opened,
his speech impediment was removed,
and he spoke plainly.
He ordered them not to tell anyone.
But the more he ordered them not to,
the more they proclaimed it.
They were exceedingly astonished and they said,
“He has done all things well.
He makes the deaf hear and the mute speak.”

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For your reading, reflection, faith-sharing, comments, questions, discussion.

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Alleluia Ping!

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St. Scholastica, Virgin and Religious Founder

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Novena to Our Lady of Lourdes

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From: 1 Kings 11:29-32; 12:19


Jeroboam Revolts and Becomes King of Israel (Continuation)

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[29] And at that time, when Jeroboam went out of Jerusalem, the
prophet Ahijah the Shilonite found him on the road. Now Ahijab had
clad himself with a new garment; and the two of them were alone in the
open country. [30] Then Ahijah laid hold of the new garment that was
on him, and tore it into twelve pieces. [31] And he said to Jeroboam,
“Take for yourself ten pieces; for thus says the LORD, the God of
Israel, Behold I am about to tear the kingdom from the hand of
Solomon, and will give you ten tribes [32] (but he shall have one
tribe, for the sake of my servant David and for the sake of Jerusalem,
the city which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel).


Ten Tribes Withdraw (Continuation)

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[19] So Israel has been in rebellion against the house of David to this day.

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Commentary:


11:26-40. Jeroboam’s revolt is the will of the Lord God of Israel.
Through the prophet Ahijah, he makes Jeroboam, who was not a
descendant of Solomon, king of the ten tribes of the North, of which
Ephraim was the most important. In the past, it was God, too, who
designated the king of Israel, as in the case of Saul (cf. 1 Sam
10:22-24) and David (cf. 1 Sam 16:1-12). Now God decides who is to
rule each of the two kingdoms (Israel and Judah) that come into being
as a punishment for Solomon’s sin--and in keeping with God’s promise.
On account of the sin, the kingdom ought to be taken away from
Solomon’s line, but because God is faithful to his promise to David he
will keep a member of David’s house on the throne. So, two kingdoms
come into being.


St Cyprian sees the prophet Ahijah’s gesture of tearing his cloak into
twelve pieces as a counter-symbol to the unity of the Church as
symbolized by Christ’s tunic. “Christ carried within him the unity
which exists on high, the unity of heaven and the Father; this unity
can never be sundered by anyone who acquires or possesses it; rather,
it always retains as its indivisible character all the solidity and
stability of unity. No one who breaks and divides his Church can put
on the garment of Christ. What happens is the opposite of what took
place at the death of Solomon, when his kingdom and his people were
divided up. At that time, the prophet Ahijah, on his way out to meet
Jeroboam in the fields, tore his cloak into twelve parts, saying:
‘Take ten pieces...‘. Just as the twelve tribes of Israel were
separated, Ahijah tore his cloak. But since the people of Christ
cannot be divided, the Lord's tunic, woven in a single piece without
seam, was not torn up by those who fought to take possession of it:
undivided, close-knit and united, the tunic is a symbol of the harmony
that ought to exist among our people, we who have submitted ourselves
to the service of Christ. Christ prefigures the unity of the Church in
the mystery and symbolism of his tunic” ("De Unilate Ecclesiae", 7).


12:16-19. The cry “To your tents, O Israel” (v. 16) is not so much a
declaration of independence as an act of treachery, as when Sheba
rebelled against David (cf. 2 Sam 20:1). The situation that the
Northern tribes want to recreate by cutting themselves off from the
house of David, is interpreted by the sacred writer as a crime and not
a right. They call themselves “Israel”, which will be the name of the
kingdom of the North, whereas that of the South, where David’s line
will continue, will be called “Judah”, after the tribe that made it up. The
observation “to this day” (v. 19) shows that this history was written
at a time when those two kingdoms still existed but it also denotes
hope of a future reunification.

---

Source: "The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries". Biblical text
taken from the Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries
made by members of the Faculty of Theology of the University of
Navarre, Spain. Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock,
Co. Dublin, Ireland.

[Salvation]

From: Mark 7:31-37


The Curing of a Deaf Man

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[31] Then He (Jesus) returned from the region of Tyre, and went through
Sidon to the Sea of Galilee, through the region of the Decapolis. [32]
And they brought Him a man who was deaf and had an impediment in his
speech; and they besought Him to lay His hand upon him. [33] And
taking him aside from the multitude privately, He put His fingers into
his ears, and He spat and touched his tongue; [34] and looking up to
Heaven, He sighed and said to him, "Ephphatha," that is, "Be opened."
[35] And his ears were opened, his tongue was released, and he spoke
plainly. [36] And He charged them to tell no one; but the more He
charged them, the more zealously they proclaimed it. [37] And they
were astonished beyond measure, saying, "He has done all things well;
He even makes the deaf hear and the dumb speak."

---

Commentary:


32-33. Sacred Scripture quite often shows the laying on of hands as a
gesture indicating the transfer of power or blessing (cf. Genesis
48:14ff; 2 Kings 5:11; Luke 13:13). Everyone knows that saliva can
help heal minor cuts. In the language of Revelation fingers symbolized
powerful Divine action (cf. Exodus 8:19; Psalm 8:4; Luke 11:20). So
Jesus uses signs which suit in some way the effect He wants to achieve,
though we can see from the text that the effect--the instantaneous cure
of the deaf and dumb man--far exceeds the sign used.


In the miracle of the deaf and dumb man we can see a symbol of the way
God acts on souls: for us to believe, God must first open our heart so
we can listen to His word. Then, like the Apostles, we too can
proclaim the "magnalia Dei", the mighty works of God (cf. Acts 2:11).
In the Church's liturgy (cf. the hymn "Veni Creator") the Holy Spirit
is compared to the finger of the right hand of God the Father ("Digitus
paternae dexterae"). The Consoler produces in our souls, in the
supernatural order, effects comparable to those which Christ produces
in the body of the deaf and dumb man.

---

Source: "The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries". Biblical text
taken from the Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries
made by members of the Faculty of Theology of the University of
Navarre, Spain. Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock,
Co. Dublin, Ireland.

[Salvation]

Friday, February 10, 2006
St. Scholastica, Virgin (Memorial)

First Reading: Psalm: Gospel:

1 Kings 11:29-32; 12:19 Psalm 81:10-15 Mark 7:31-37 The first step of humility is unhesitating obedience, which comes naturally to those who cherish Christ above all. -- St. Benedict (Rule of St. Benedict 5:1-2)

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Lauds -- Morning Prayer

Morning Prayer (Lauds)

If this is the first Hour that you are reciting today, you should precede it with the Invitatory Psalm.

O God, come to my aid.
O Lord, make haste to help me.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
 as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
 world without end.
Amen. Alleluia.

---

A suitable hymn may be inserted at this point.

Psalm 50 (51)

God, have mercy on me

Take pity on me, Lord, in your mercy; in your abundance of mercy wipe out my guilt.
Wash me ever more from my guilt and cleanse me from my sin.

For I know how guilty I am: my sin is always before me.

Against you, you alone have I sinned, and I have done evil in your sight.
Know this, so that you may give just sentence and an unbiased judgement.

See, I was conceived in guilt, in sin my mother conceived me;
but you love truth in the heart, and deep within me you have shown me your wisdom.

You will sprinkle me with hyssop, and I will be made clean; you will wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.
You will make me hear the sound of joy and gladness; the bones you have crushed will rejoice.

Turn your face away from my sins and wipe out all my transgressions;
create a pure heart in me, God, put a steadfast spirit into me.

Do not send me away from your presence, or withdraw your holy spirit from me;
give me again the joy of your salvation, and be ready to strengthen me with your spirit.

I will teach the unjust your ways, and the impious will return to you.
Free me from the guilt of bloodshed, God, God my saviour, and my voice will glory in your justice.

Open my lips, Lord, and my mouth will proclaim your praise;
for you do not delight in sacrifices: if I offered you a burnt offering, it would not please you.
The true sacrifice is a broken spirit: a contrite and humble heart, O God, you will not refuse.

Be pleased, Lord, to look kindly on Sion, so that the walls of Jerusalem can be rebuilt,
Then indeed you will accept the proper sacrifices, gifts and burnt offerings; then indeed will bullocks be laid upon your altar.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
 as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
 world without end.
Amen.

---

Canticle	Isaiah 45
All peoples, turn to the Lord
In truth you are a hidden God, the God and Saviour of Israel. They were dismayed and ashamed, all the makers of idols, all of them fled in dismay. Israel has been saved by the Lord, saved for ever; you will not be dismayed or ashamed, to the end of time. For thus says the Lord, the God who made the heavens, who made the earth, shaped it, set it firm – he did not make it to be empty, but to be full of life – “I am the Lord, there is no other. “I have not spoken secretly, in some dark corner of the earth. I have not said to the children of Jacob, ‘seek me in vain’. I am the Lord who speaks justice, who proclaims uprightness. “Gather together, come, approach me all of you who have been rescued from the Gentiles. They were ignorant, who raised up wooden idols and begged favours of a god without power. Announce it – come, ponder it together – who was saying this from the beginning, who foretold this from the start? Am I not the Lord? Is there any other God but me? Do you seek a just God who will save you? There is no other. “Turn to me and you will be saved, all you ends of the earth; for I am God, there is no other. “I have sworn by my own being, I have decreed a judgement that will not be revoked; for every knee will bend to me, every tongue swear by my name.” “Only in the Lord,” they will say, “are there justice and strength!” All who resisted him will come to him, and be dismayed; but in the Lord all descendants of Israel will receive justice and glory. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,  as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,  world without end. Amen.

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Psalm 99 (100)

Enter the Temple with joy

Rejoice in the Lord, all the earth. Exult in his presence and serve him with joy.

Know that the Lord is God. He made us and we are his – his people, the sheep of his flock.

Cry out his praises as you enter his gates, fill his courtyards with songs. Proclaim him and bless his name;
for the Lord is our delight. His mercy lasts for ever, his faithfulness through all the ages.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
 as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
 world without end.
Amen.

A short Bible reading and responsory may follow here.

Canticle	Benedictus
The Messiah and his forerunner
Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, for he has come to his people and brought about their redemption. He has raised up the sign of salvation in the house of his servant David, as he promised through the mouth of the holy ones, his prophets through the ages: to rescue us from our enemies and all who hate us, to take pity on our fathers, to remember his holy covenant and the oath he swore to Abraham our father, that he would give himself to us, that we could serve him without fear – freed from the hands of our enemies – in uprightness and holiness before him, for all of our days. And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High: for you will go before the face of the Lord to prepare his path, to let his people know their salvation, so that their sins may be forgiven. Through the bottomless mercy of our God, one born on high will visit us to give light to those who walk in darkness, who live in the shadow of death; to lead our feet in the path of peace. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,  as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,  world without end. Amen.

---

Some short prayers may follow here, to offer up the day's work to God.

Our Father, who art in Heaven,
 hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come,
 thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
 and forgive us our trespasses
 as we forgive those that trespass against us,
and lead us not into temptation,
 but deliver us from evil.

A concluding prayer may follow here.

---

May the Lord bless us and keep us from all harm; and may he lead us to eternal life.

A M E N

[Salvation]

Catholic Culture

Collect: Lord, as we recall the memory of St. Scholastica, we ask that by her example we may serve you with love and obtain perfect joy. Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Recipes: » Chicken Valdostana Activities: » Home Altar Hangings » Namedays » What is a Nameday? » Window Transparencies Prayers: » Litany of Saint Scholastica » Novena to Our Lady of Lourdes

February 10, 2006 Memorial of St. Scholastica, virgin Old Calendar: St. Scholastica St. Scholastica was the twin sister of St. Benedict, the Patriarch of Western monasticism. She was born in Umbria, Italy, about 480. Under Benedict's direction, Scholastica founded a community of nuns near the great Benedictine monastery Monte Cassino. Inspired by Benedict's teaching, his sister devoted her whole life to seeking and serving God. She died in 547 and tradition holds that at her death her soul ascended to heaven in the form of a dove. St. Scholastica St. Scholastica, like her brother, dedicated herself to God from early youth. Information on the virgin Scholastica is very scanty. In his Second Book of Dialogues (Ch. 33 and 34) Pope St. Gregory has described for us the last meeting between brother and sister: "His sister Scholastica, who had been consecrated to God in early childhood, used to visit with him once a year. On these occasions he would go to meet her in a house belonging to the monastery a short distance from the entrance. For this particular visit he joined her there with a few of his disciples and they spent the whole day singing God's praises and conversing about the spiritual life. "When darkness was setting in they took their meal together and continued their conversation at table until it was quite late. Then the holy nun said to him, 'Please do not leave me tonight, brother. Let us keep on talking about the joys of heaven till morning.' 'What are you saying, sister?' he replied. 'You know that I cannot stay away from the monastery.' The sky was so clear at the time, there was not a cloud in sight. "At her brother's refusal Scholastica folded her hands on the table and rested her head upon them in earnest prayer. When she looked up again, there was a sudden burst of lightning and thunder accompanied by such a downpour that Benedict and his companions were unable to set foot outside the door. By shedding a flood of tears while she prayed, this holy nun had darkened the cloudless sky with a heavy rain. The storm began as soon as her prayer was over. In fact, the two coincided so closely that the thunder was already resounding as she raised her head from the table. The very instant she ended her prayer the rain poured down. "Realizing that he could not return to the abbey in this terrible storm, Benedict complained bitterly. 'God forgive you, sister!' he said. 'What have you done?' Scholastica simply answered, 'When I appealed to you, you would not listen to me. So I turned to my God and He heard my prayer. Leave now if you can. Leave me here and go back to your monastery.' "This, of course, he could not do. He had no choice now but to stay, in spite of his unwillingness. They spent the entire night together and both of them derived great profit from the holy thoughts they exchanged about the interior life. The next morning Scholastica returned to her convent and Benedict to his monastery. "Three days later as he stood in his room looking up toward the sky, he beheld his sister's soul leaving her body and entering the heavenly court in the form of a dove. Overjoyed at her eternal glory, he gave thanks to God in hymns of praise. Then, after informing his brethren of her death, he sent some of them to bring her body to the abbey and bury it in the tomb he had prepared for himself. The bodies of these two were now to share a common resting place, just as in life their souls had always been one in God." Her tomb is at Monte Cassino. Excerpted from The Church's Year of Grace, Pius Parsch. Patron: Against rain; convulsive children; nuns; storms. Symbols: Nun with crozier and crucifix; nun with dove flying from her mouth. Things to Do: Tell your children about the "holy twins": St. Scholastica and the tender love she had for her brother St. Benedict. Ask them how they can help one another to become saints. Make an altar hanging or window transparency in the shape of a dove to honor St. Scholastica. If you are traveling to Italy try to visit St. Benedict's Abbey of Monte Cassino. If not, make a virtual visit. Read more about the life of St. Scholastica. Learn how to prayerfully read Sacred Scripture in this article, Lectio Divina: Daily Information for a New Life by Fr. Adam Ryan, O.S.B

[Salvation]

American Catholic’s Saint of the Day

February 10, 2006

St. Scholastica

(480-542?)

Twins often share the same interests and ideas with an equal intensity. Therefore, it is no surprise that Scholastica and her twin brother, Benedict, both established religious communities within a few miles from each other.

Born in 480 of wealthy parents, Scholastica and Benedict were brought up together until he left for Rome to continue his studies.

Little is known of Scholastica’s early life. She founded a religious community for women near Monte Cassino at Plombariola, five miles from where her brother governed a monastery.

The twins visited each other once a year in a farmhouse because Scholastica was not permitted inside the monastery. They spent these times discussing spiritual matters.

According to the Dialogues of St. Gregory the Great, the brother and sister spent their last day together in prayer and conversation. Scholastica sensed her death was close at hand and she begged Benedict to stay with her until the next day.

He refused her request because he did not want to spend a night outside the monastery, thus breaking his own Rule. Scholastica asked God to let her brother remain and a severe thunderstorm broke out, preventing Benedict and his monks from returning to the abbey.

Benedict cried out, “God forgive you, Sister. What have you done?” Scholastica replied, “I asked a favor of you and you refused. I asked it of God and he granted it.”

Brother and sister parted the next morning after their long discussion. Three days later, Benedict was praying in his monastery and saw the soul of his sister rising heavenward in the form of a white dove. Benedict then announced the death of his sister to the monks and later buried her in the tomb he had prepared for himself.

Comment:

Scholastica and Benedict gave themselves totally to God and gave top priority to deepening their friendship with him through prayer. They sacrificed some of the opportunities they would have had to be together as brother and sister in order better to fulfill their vocation to the religious life. In coming closer to Christ, however, they found they were also closer to each other. In joining a religious community, they did not forget or forsake their family but rather found more brothers and sisters.

Quote:

“All religious are under an obligation, in accordance with the particular vocation of each, to work zealously and diligently for the building up and growth of the whole mystical body of Christ and for the good of the particular churches. It is their duty to foster these objectives primarily by means of prayer, works of penance, and by the example of their own lives” (Decree on the Pastoral Office of Bishops, 33, Austin Flannery translation).

[al_c]

Meditation
Mark 7:31-37

Ephphatha! Be opened! (Mark 7:34)
Most of us do not think about what it would be like to be deaf or speech impaired. We may consider a day or even an hour of holding our tongue to be torture! It is natural to want to hear and be part of conversations going on around us, to be involved in dialogue and to know that we are being listened to. Yet there are many ways we choose to be deaf, or to be afflicted with "selective hearing." Sometimes sin makes us spiritually deaf, as we choose to listen to the world and turn our ears away from God. We can become so used to sin or the ways of the world that it becomes normal to be hard of hearing, until we end up deaf to Jesus' call to us.

There are many ways that we can become deaf to the message of the gospel. Do we sometimes not hear the cry of the needy? Are we deaf or dumb when it comes to recognizing and then confessing a particular sin? Is our speech overlaid with harsh tones or judgments?

Are you open to being changed? With one word, "Ephphatha," Jesus opened the deaf man's ears and gave him back his hearing and speech. Likewise, every time we turn to the Lord, he says the same thing to us: "Ephphatha! Be opened!" God wants to open up whatever is preventing us from hearing his still, small voice. He wants to heal us of anything and everything that keeps us from embracing and sharing his message of love.

Don't be afraid to tell him your needs. Go ahead and pray, "Lord, open my ears to your wisdom and your grace. Teach me, Jesus, and heal me. Your words are melodious to me." Imagine Jesus touching your ears and saying, "Ephphatha! Be opened!" Trust that he has the power to do just what he commanded. It took only a moment for the deaf man's ears to be totally restored—a feat that might today take a skilled surgeon many hours on the operating table. Similarly, all Jesus needs is a few moments from us so he can open our ears to his words of everlasting life.

"Lord Jesus, open my ears to your voice and my mouth to proclaim your love. Stir my heart with love songs that I can sing to the world!"

[Okies love Dubya 2]

I love the story about St. Scholastica--it's one of my favorite stories about a saint!

St. Scholastica is the saint for my birthday (the big 33 for me), and the parish we attend is St. Benedict :) I am going to a Benedictine monastery this afternoon for prayer and a meeting with some fellow pro-lifers.

[Salvation]

Wonderful mediation! You have FReepmail.

[Salvation]

**I am going to a Benedictine monastery this afternoon for prayer and a meeting with some fellow pro-lifers.**

Have a wonderful meeting, and thank you, for the work you do to support life for all.

[al_c]

FR mail back to you.

[MILESJESU]

Dear All,

I would like all of us to pray for an urgent prayer intention.

As, y'all may or may not know thngs are getting out of hand in several states in India as regards the persecution of Christians.

I need your prayers for a young catholic man who was stabbed in the neck by members of a Hindu Extremist Group on Monday Night I.S.T. in the Town of Ratnagiri on the Konkan Coast which is half way between Bombay and Goa.

He is in a serious condition and is currently breathing through a tube at a prominent public hospital in Bombay also known as Mumbai.

The facts so far are like this. His Family are first generation converts from Hinduism in the Town of Ratnagiri and on Monday night, the 6th of February 2006 His Family and a number of other catholic families had gathered in his house for the Rosary and other catholic devotions.

Some Hindu Exremist Groups from a neighbouring district protested against this family holding Peaceful Catholic Prayer Meetings and threw a Crude Bomb at this house, when this young man went to inquire about the explosion he was stabbed by two Hindu Extremists.

Please pray for his recuperation and continued welfare.

Christians and Catholics in India are being persecuted like nobodys business -- Catholic, Baptist, and Pentecostal Churches are regularly set on fire in States ruled by the Political wing of Hindu Extemist Groups as well as in States ruled by Secular Parties.

A large number of Catholic Priests and Baptist Pastors have already given their lives for Christ over the last 10 years in various parts of India as a result of murderous attacks made by Hindu Extremist Groups on them from Kerala in South India to Orissa in Eastern India.

The young man's name is Amol Chavan. He is 19 years old.

Please pray that his condition does not worsen as a stab wound in the neck is a serious wound. You will agree with me on that point.

More importantly, from November 2005 - January 2006 there has been a massive upsurge of anti- christian violence as there has been for the last 15 years but this time 3 Catholic Bishops and 2 Archbishops have been attacked since November 2005.

The latest case, being the stoning of the auxiliary catholic bishop of Bombay and a number of priests on the 29th of January 2006 by a Mob of Hindu Extremists on the outskirts of Bombay.

Let us pray for those who persecute the followers of Christ.

Finally, I plan to start a thread and a ping list in the near future if the situation continues to deteriorate rapidly for Christians and Catholics in India.

I will call it "Persecuted for Christ in India". Please take a look at my profile whenever you can and give me some feedback about my possible plans in the near future.

[Salvation]

Prayers for this young man.

[Salvation]

I have passed on your prayer request to the prayer warriors on FR.

[Salvation]

 

 

 

A Voice in the Dessert

Friday  February 10, 2006   Fifth Week in Ordinary Time

 Reading (1 Kings 11:29-32; 12:19)   Gospel (St. Mark 7:31-37)

In the first reading today, we hear about how the Lord took ten of the tribes away from Solomon’s reign. Solomon, David’s son, was punished because of his sinfulness, and the punishment was that the king was no longer going to have reign over all of Israel, but there would only be one tribe left to Solomon. So we are told that the people of Israel went into rebellion against the house of David from that day. This is exactly what sin is all about. It is rebellion. Sin is rebellion against God. And if we are going to rebel against God, we are also going to rebel against those who serve God. When we look at what Solomon does, he sets up all of these altars to these false gods and he offers sacrifice to them.  Because he went into rebellion against God, there is rebellion against him.

We see the exact same problem today. If sin is nothing more than rebellion – and rebellion is as witchcraft, Scripture says – then it is idol worship, and we do the exact same thing. We are not necessarily setting up altars to false gods and offering sacrifice and incense to them, but the reality is that we are not worshiping the Lord the way that we ought if we are out committing serious sins, because we have set up some false idol. No matter what selfish act it might be, the reality is that is what we have done, and we go into rebellion against God. Sin also brings chaos. So we see exactly what happens in our lives. When we start giving into sin, chaos reigns. There are all kinds of things that follow from it in our own lives. We start slipping away from God and losing control of all the things in our lives.  

That is what we see happening to Solomon. Because he is the king, of course, it is going to happen on a much larger scale because the whole kingdom was entrusted to his care. We see that because his sin was very public and very heinous, the punishment for his sin was also going to be very public and it was going to affect all the people of Israel.  

At the same time, we see in the Gospel this man being brought to Jesus. This is a man who is deaf and has a speech impediment. Because of his faith, the Lord heals him. He simply puts his fingers in his ears and spits on his tongue. We look at that and think it is rather disgusting, yet this is precisely the way the Lord chose to heal him.  

Now we can look at our own selves and we can see that what is really disgusting is our sinfulness and our rebellion against God. If God chooses to heal us through some means that we may not particularly appreciate, we still need to be able to see what He is doing and we need to be faithful. We need to allow ourselves to be healed according to God’s Will. Even if we might find the way that He chooses to do it a little bit repulsive, it does not matter. God knows the way that is the most perfect. If He decides that He wants to spit on our tongue (in a different form these days, obviously) that is entirely up to Him if that is the means by which we will be healed. If something like that were to happen, all we would have to do is ask: How many times have we spit in His face? How many times have we violated Him? So if He chooses a means by which we are going to be healed which may be difficult, which may be for us rather frustrating, it is okay. All we have to do is look at it and say, “I deserve a whole lot worse because of my sins.” And we do.  

The Lord wants to heal us of our rebellion. He wants to heal us of our sinfulness because it is not a matter now of taking ten tribes and giving them to someone else; the rebellion divides us internally. We are divided against our own self. Jesus prayed that His followers would be one, and we are not even one within our own self, let alone within the churches. We need that internal unity before we are ever going to achieve any kind of external unity. The only one who can heal it is the Lord. So if we come to Him and acknowledge that we have been deaf to His words because we have gone into rebellion, that we have a speech impediment because instead of speaking the words of God we speak all kinds of other things that are inappropriate, then we have to ask Him to heal us. We have to ask Him to unite what we have torn into pieces inside of ourselves, and let Him choose the means by which we will be healed. No matter how difficult or easy it may seem, no matter how simple or repulsive to us it might seem, it does not matter. Just look at the rebellion, the chaos, and the sinfulness that we ourselves have caused, and recognize that that is what is truly difficult and disgusting, and that whatever God is going to do to heal us is actually the way that is going to be the very best, the most perfect, to bring about the healing of what we ourselves have caused. 

*  This text was transcribed from the audio recording with minimal editing.