Daily Reflection for Thursday, February 10, 2022
Peace and Blessings, Friends and Parishioners,
We encourage you to reflect on Thursday’s readings at this link:
Memorial of Saint Scholastica, Virgin | USCCB
If you prefer to use your own Bible, the readings are:
First Reading: 1 Kings 11:4-13
Responsorial: Psalm 106::3-4, 35-36, 37 and 40
Gospel: Mark 7:24-30
Our reflection on Thursday’s readings:
She replied and said to him, “Lord, even the dogs under the table eat the children’s scraps.” Mark 7:28
I discovered recently that one of my kids is struggling quite a bit. The struggle caught me off guard as it seemingly presented out of nowhere. The benefit of hindsight provides some opportunity for analysis and the struggle makes more sense to me now. The invitation for much questioning persists, with a backdrop of questions in my thoughts that play like the stock market’s continuous scrolling ticker banner. How can this problem have been present in plain sight for some time without my awareness?
Considering the distinctions of the day that presented obstacles for the Syrophoenician woman (gentile, foreigner, gender), I’m struck by her determination and the depth of faith driving her to seek healing for her daughter. Compared to Mark’s account, in Matthew’s version of this story, despite her plea for mercy, the disciples begged Jesus to “send her away.” Jesus had, after all, been maneuvering a Jewish world. Acknowledging the prior claim of the Jews to His ministry, in Matthew’s Gospel Jesus reminded her that He was sent only to the lost sheep of the people of Israel.
Her seemingly cheeky response to His suggestion that it wasn’t right to take food from the children’s (people of Israel’s) table referenced the household routine where children were fed first. Any leftovers were given to the dogs under the table and her faith made it known that even the scraps were good enough to achieve healing for her daughter. It brings to mind the Roman officer’s faith that we repeat during every celebration of the Mass: “Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof, but only say the word and my soul shall be healed.”
What something or what someone have we found in our lives that went unseen, so to speak, that surprisingly called out for attention in some unexpected way? To what and to whom have we been kindly dismissive? What responsibilities as spouses, parents, neighbors, co-workers etc. might we have overlooked? Which people in our lives might we be conveniently overlooking (family, sexual orientation differences, political view incongruencies) due to the pace of our lives or due to active choice? What about our own needs, hiding in plain view, easily overlooked by the needs of others?
Who or what does the Syrophoenician woman represent in your life?
Rafael Rosario