Daily Reflection Wednesday of the Fifth Week in Ordinary Time

Praying with today’s two main Scripture readings, I realize how closely they fit with each other.  In the first reading, we have a brightly colored description of the Queen of Sheba’s compliments of Solomon’s many riches, good deeds, and his wisdom. Half way through this section I felt as though I were at an awards ceremony! Yet, when we continue reading this first Book of Kings, we realize that all the Queen’s praises, as well as Solomon’s vanity, his following false gods, and his riches are his downfall. He has chosen to weaken his relationship with God!

  Jesus is revolutionary in stating that nothing going into a person defiles a person. The disciples are amazed, because the Book of Leviticus states the opposite. Things are not clean or unclean of themselves. What defiles people are their sinful actions—products of their hearts. In other words, uncleanness has nothing to do with what a person takes into the body. BUT everything to do with what comes out of the heart!

    Today’s two readings are a foray into St. Ignatius’ teaching on discernment. Praying in our day- to- day living, what are our priorities? Disguised in hype about bodily beauty, winning the lottery, disparaging people who don’t look like me or come from a different country, or profess alternate politics-- we need daily to sit with our God to discern what comes from the Holy Spirit and what emanates from selfishness. 

    Howard Thurman, twentieth century theologian and mystic, wrote in his meditations:

 “I want to be better than I am in the responsibilities that are mine:

    I am conscious of many petty resentments.

 I am conscious of increasing hostility toward certain people.

 I am conscious of the effort to be pleasing for effect,

    not because it is a genuine feeling on my part.

 I am conscious of a tendency to shift to other shoulders burdens 

    that are clearly my own.

“I want to be better in the quality of my religious experience:

    I want to develop an honest and clear prayer life.

    I want to develop a sensitiveness to the will of God in my own life.

    I want to develop a charitableness toward my fellows 

        that is far greater than my most exaggerated pretensions.

    I want to be better than I am.

   I lay bare this need and this desire before God in the quietness

       of this moment.”

    Thurman bares his soul before God. Let us take his cue by sitting with God—maybe over a cup of coffee or tea—and let our hearts enter into discernment about our daily intentions and actions.