Monday, February 29, 2016

Monday of the Third Week of Lent

(II Kings 5:1-15ab; Luke 4:24-30)

The man told the superior of a religious community that he would give him $100 to have a private mass said for his family on Christmas Day.  It was a time when $100 would be like $500 today. The priest wondered if he was being bribed to give a special privilege.  He rejected the offer.  The man should take his family to the community mass on the holyday with the rest of the people.  A similar offer is implied in today’s first reading.

Naaman takes a fortune with him when he visits Elisha.  Evidently he thinks that he can buy a favor from the prophet.  He does not realize what kind of God Elisha serves.  He does not know that God wants justice not gifts.  Naaman cannot fathom that God’s prophets as well are not to be impressed by wealth.  However, he comes to know by his cure that the God of Israel is greater than all others gods.  He learns that God only desires submission to his gracious will.

We too must take care not to place exaggerated importance on money.  We certainly need it to live in modern society.  Also, we can use it to serve others.  But in the end, we too will realize that money fails to bring the happiness it promises.  Always more beneficial is a heart determined to love God above all and others as His children. 

Monday, March 4, 2013

Monday of the Third Week of Lent

(II Kings 5:1-15ab; Luke 4:24-30)

In “Death of the Hired Hand” poet Robert Frost tells the story of a shiftless, old farmhand.  The character is an almost complete failure, but he has one remarkable quality – he knows how to pitch hay.  The poet explains how some people defeat their purpose by standing on the hay they mean to pitch.  The old farmhand, however, knows better.

Two characters in the first reading stand on, as it were, the hay they mean to pitch.  Both the king of Israel and Naaman, the Syrian general, make themselves obstacles to what they wish to accomplish.  They worry about not being able to do something when all that is necessary is that they trust in God.  One wants to shout at the first: “No, king of Israel, you are not a god with power over life and death.  Your God, however, has exactly that power.  Ask him to heal the leper.” And to the general: “No, Naaman, you cannot be cleansed in the waters of your own land.  Do what the prophet of God tells you, and you will be healed of your leprosy.”

Rather than put our trust in God we often fret over challenges confronting us.  We too need to be reminded that we are not gods, that our resources cannot resolve every problem.  We too must trust the God of Israel, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.  He can and will save us when we turn first to Him for help.

Homilette for February 25, 2008

Monday of the Third Week of Lent

(II Kings 5:1-15ab)

In “Death of the Hired Hand” poet Robert Frost tells the story of a shiftless farm helper. The one remarkable quality of the man is knowing how to pitch hay. Some hay pitchers defeat themselves by standing on the hay they want to pick up. The farmhand, however, knows better than to get in the way of what he wants to accomplish.

Two characters in the first reading stand on, as it were, the hay they mean to pitch. Both the king of Israel and Naaman, the Syrian general, make themselves obstacles to what they wish to accomplish. They worry about not being able to do something when all that is necessary is that they trust someone else. We want to tell them: “No, king of Israel, you are not a god with power over life and death. Your God, however, has exactly that power. Ask him to heal the leper.” And, “No, Naaman, you cannot be cleansed in the waters of your own land. Do what the prophet of God tells you, and you will be healed of your leprosy.”

Rather than put our trust in God we sometimes worry and fret over challenges confronting us. We also are not gods. Our resources also cannot resolve every problem we face. We too must trust the God of Israel, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. He can and will save us. Let us always turn first to Him for help.