Reflection on Today's Readings, Monday, 3rd Week of Lent, Year B, March 8th, 2021
Texts: 2Kgs. 5:1-15a; Ps. 42:2.3;43:3.4; Luke 4:24-30
Today's first reading brings to mind the words of St. Paul: "To him who by means of his power working in us is able to do so much more than we can ever ask for, or even think of" (Eph. 3:20). It is clear, in today's first reading, that the king of Israel was not aware that there was a power in Israel that could do far more than he could ask for or imagine. While the king was ignorant of this power, a little maid from Israel who served in a foreign land, Syria, was aware of this power. Hence, she said to her mistress: “Would that my Lord were with the prophet who is in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy.” This touches me as a priest who is the custodian of the spiritual wealth of the Church. It calls me to open my eyes the more and to be more conscious of my calling. It also applies to you as a Christian. It calls on each of us to be more open to the opportunities available to us in the Church. It calls us to be more appreciative of our spiritual heritage.
Many a time we are blind to the resources at our disposal and we continue to complain and lament, just like the king of Israel. He saw a person looking for fight in the letter rather than a person in need and desperately seeking for help. We could see how good intention could be misunderstood easily. It is said of him thus: "And when the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his clothes and said, 'Am I God, to kill and to make alive, that this man sends word to me to cure a man of his leprosy? Only consider, and see how he is seeking a quarrel with me.'" Truly, we are not God but God can work wonders by the means of His power working in us. Elisha was a prophet, not God, but God cured the leprosy through him; that did not make him God. We just have to realize that God's power dwell in us by putting our faith and hope in Him. Faith that works through love is great and powerful, it can do far more than we can ask for or imagine.
Today we complain and lament over things that we have the power to do. There are a lot of things we think we cannot do. Some people think that they cannot give up addiction. Today, we are reminded that, with God, nothing is impossible. Sometimes, we think that the Church is pushing us too hard on matters of faith and moral; we often think that the moral teaching of the Church is too hard to bear. Dear friends, the truth is: we can do far more than that by the means of God's power working in us. Let us stop looking at ourselves, our strength, what we can do or cannot do as human beings, but let us start looking up to God, with whom nothing is impossible. When we focus so much on ourselves, our ability, we will often lag behind, be discouraged, picking quarrel here and there and finally lapsed into faithlessness. Looking up to God fills us with hope, zeal, joy and strength to carry on. Some people are lost, today, because they think they could achieve holiness by their own efforts and power, but when it did not turn out as they expected, they ran into despair and lack of faith. They became worse than what they were before turning to God. Dear friends, let us always turn to God for help, even for every little thing of our lives. We should do our best and look up to God for blessing. Nothing good can come from man without God's grace. Let us be reminded once again that we can do far more than we can ever ask for or imagine by the means of God's power working in us.
Lord our God, open our eyes to be aware of your power dwelling in us, that we might make great exploit for you. Amen.
Fr. Andrew Olowomuke
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