Daily Reflection – Feb 29, 2016
Monday 29 February 2016
First Reading: 2 Kings 5:1-15
Responsorial Psalm:
My soul is thirsting for the living God: when shall I see him face to face?
Psalm 41(42):2-3; 42(43):3-4
Gospel Reading: Luke 4:24-30
Today’s Note: Monday of the Third Week of Lent
Gospel Reading:
Jesus said to the people in the synagogue at Nazareth:
“Amen, I say to you,
no prophet is accepted in his own native place.
Indeed, I tell you, there were many widows in Israel
in the days of Elijah
when the sky was closed for three and a half years
and a severe famine spread over the entire land.
It was to none of these that Elijah was sent,
but only to a widow in Zarephath in the land of Sidon.
Again, there were many lepers in Israel
during the time of Elisha the prophet;
yet not one of them was cleansed, but only Naaman the Syrian.”
When the people in the synagogue heard this,
they were all filled with fury.
They rose up, drove him out of the town,
and led him to the brow of the hill
on which their town had been built,
to hurl him down headlong.
But he passed through the midst of them and went away.
Reflection:
. . . a little girl. (2 Kings 5:2)
Have you ever looked at a famous painting, and at first glance, it appears to be almost ordinary? But then you look closer, and you see the artist’s use of shadow and light, perspective, and contrast—and the scene comes alive before your eyes! Today’s story about Naaman is like that. A little girl, a grizzly prophet, and a minor river—nothing too impressive, and yet they all work together in a miraculous way. They show that the small and the humble can bring great glory to the Lord.
Why is this? It’s because they aren’t prone to drawing attention to themselves. All they want to do is follow the Lord; they don’t worry about whether people see it or not. The scene with the little girl moves us because it comes from such an unexpected place, a place of purity and sincerity and simplicity.
Don’t you love how God reveals himself through unlikely people and circumstances? The Bible tells us about Gideon, the youngest of the least of the families of Israel, who leads his people to victory. There is Ruth, a widowed and impoverished foreigner, who wins the heart of a wealthy Israelite and becomes part of Jesus’ family tree. And there’s King David. This heroic leader was just a young shepherd boy when the Lord chose him.
Don’t think that God can’t use you! You may not be wealthy or powerful or famous. You may feel that you don’t have a lot of control over your circumstances, either. But none of that matters to God. In fact, you might be just the right person he is looking for. Just as he worked through a little girl to change the course of history, he can use you to bring powerful change to the people around you.
Whether you’re doing the dishes, shoveling snow, or filing papers, you can be a vessel of Jesus’ love and grace. A simple word of encouragement, spoken from a heart of love and trust, can do far more than you can imagine. Just ask that little girl who set Naaman on the road to healing!
“Lord, use me to reveal your love.”
