Thursday of the
Fifth Week in Ordinary Time
(Genesis 2:18-25; Mark 7:24-30)
The story is told of President Abraham Lincoln taking a
walk in the woods one night weighing a difficult decision. A group of Union
soldiers were to be executed for falling asleep on duty unless he gave them a
pardon. Along the path Lincoln met an adolescent on the ground crying. The lad
had run away from home after his father in a rage killed his dog. The father
had learnt that his other son was to be executed for cowardice and couldn’t
control his anger. Lincoln counseled the boy to go home and forgive his father;
meanwhile, he said, he would do some forgiving himself. The President also gave
the boy his card with a note saying that he might visit him at the White House
anytime. The boy went home and made up with his father. When he found out that
his brother’s crime was falling asleep on duty, he went straight to the White
House and took a seat outside President Lincoln’s office. At the end of the
day, the boy gave the President’s secretary the card he had received and told
him he had an important matter to discuss with Mr. Lincoln. The boy was shown
in, told Lincoln what happened to his brother, and heard the President promise
to add his brother’s name to the list of those soldiers who would be receiving
Presidential pardons. Like Jesus in today’s gospel, Abraham Lincoln had
the fortitude to change his mind when he realized that there is a better way to
accomplish his purpose than he had previously considered.
In this Gospel according to Mark Jesus continually retreats
to rest and pray. Almost always,
however, people feeling desperate need manage to find him. In today’s passage a pagan woman requests Jesus
to drive away the demon that is menacing her daughter. Seeing his mission as reuniting the sons and
daughters of Israel, Jesus initially rejects her plea. Then he shows himself capable of moving
beyond his self-imposed limits when the woman expresses her humble faith.
Abraham Lincoln has often been compared to Jesus. Most dramatically, he was killed on Good Friday
after devoting himself for the good of the people. Lincoln himself governed the country with an
unequalled sense of the gospel in mind and heart. It is appropriate for us Americans to especially
remember him one day every year. It is
even more essential that we consult the gospel every day of the year to give
sure direction to our lives.
