My reflections for Feb. 10, 2006 - Friday

February 10, 2006

Reading I
1 Kings 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.

(One of the forms of prophecy that we find in the Scriptures is symbolic prophecy. Here is an example: the cloak of Ahijah is torn into 12 strips - ten for Jeroboam, Solomon's son. Thus Israel is divided in two with ten of the tribes going with Jeroboam and the other two with Rehoboam. The ripping of the new cloak to symbolize this is a powerful way to demonstrate the reality of such a split. It is not possible to stick the strips back together without seams or scarring. The cloak is no good as such as it is now only strips of material.)

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

R. 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
Mark 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.”

(Jesus never seeks to draw attention to Himself when He works a miracle. He wants the peopleto focus on their faith in God and not the miracle itself. He is not a magic worker who has come to put on sort of a spectacular display. He has come to call people back to faith and trust in God. he has come to tell people of the great love taht God has for each of them. He wants to reconcile people with God and one another. These are the real miracles that He works daily in our lives. Let us never forget this!)

God's special verse/thought for me today.

my reflections
think: With whom does God want you to reconcile?

thank You Lord for: