Monday of the Sixth Week in Ordinary Time
(James 1:1-11; Mark 8:11-13)
Puerto Rico had a solemn Christmas. The territory was devastated by two
hurricanes last year. Its economy was
struggling to keep people from moving away.
The storms forced many more to take up their belongings and move away. Puerto Ricans will hear James’ words in today’s
first reading as applying especially to them: “…when you encounter various
trials…know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.”
The Letter of James is sometimes criticized for hardly
mentioning the Lord Jesus. There are two
references to him, but more significantly the letter relates the same teaching
as the gospel. Today’s passage, for
example, contrasts the rich faith of the poor person to the often poor faith of
the rich. In the Gospel of Matthew Jesus
calls the poor “blessed” because they more likely trust in God for their
livelihood.
Natural disasters such as hurricanes and earthquakes challenge
us deeply. Nevertheless, they are often
instructive. They teach us that
relationships are more valuable to have than lots of things. More specifically, they show that our
relationship with God matters most.
