Monday of the Third Week
Elisha heals Naaman of his leprosy by giving him a simple task: cleanse himself in the Jordan seven times. Naaman responds angrily that the order wasn’t dramatic enough, extraordinary enough. Guided by servants to reflect that since he would have done the extraordinary, he should do as told. Thusly, he is healed.
Naaman lacked faith he could be healed because he was focused on how he thought the way things should be. He failed to see clearly.
Jesus, speaking in the synagogue, laments God’s prophets are not accepted in their native place; filled with anger in response, the crowd seeks to hurl him off a cliff. Both instances show us the danger of overlooking the manifestations of God in the ordinariness of our lives. Indeed, how quickly we are stirred to anger, even to rage, when we think we know best. As St. Paul says, “Now we see dimly” (1 Corinthians 13:12). Many times, that might be a generous account of how poorly we understand the world around us.
Psalm 42 shows the path forward: “Athirst is my soul for the living God. When shall I go and behold the face of God?” To learn to see all things clearly, we need to focus our attention, to focus on the face of God. It is our faith that heals, our faith that gives wisdom, our faith that slakes thirst, our faith that gives gladness and joy.
Prayer
God, help me to keep my gaze fixed on you and thus see you in all things–especially the ordinariness of my life. Amen.
TJ Bird Matarazzo,’98, Worshipping Community
