Fifth Week in Ordinary Time, Thursday, Feb. 8,2007

Scripture: Gen. 2:18-25. Psalm 128. Mark 7:24-30.

Mark is the Evangelist who portrays Jesus as having all of the human
emotions possible. Some readers may be a bit scandalized at how human Mark
presents Jesus. Today we learn that Jesus can be surprised and that he
enjoys the quickwit of a Syrophoenician woman who remains unnamed. But her
story remains in our memories forever. Her faith in Jesus is outstanding.
She as a Gentile becomes a model for believers who were not of the same
religion as Jesus and his followers.Her faith in him helps us to imitate
her quick wisdom and faith. Her daughter is cured by Jesus who appreciates
her topping his own remarks to her which were not too sensitive! I like
the simplicity, the quick movement, and the activity of this miraculous
event in the life of a simple woman who meets Jesus head on, so to speak.
The Son of God, Jesus, is really surprised and thus rewards her for her
wisdom-like faith. God's grace happens so unexpectedly for us and we, too,
can recall some of the surprises of God in our lives. Our God is a God of
surprises.

In our first reading from Genesis, we are now in the more anthromorphic or
human story telling of the second account of creation. This is from the
tradition that addresses God as Yahweh (The Yahwistic Tradition). It is
the oldest of the traditions found in the Torah and is easily recognized by
its very down to earth theology. God surprises the "earth-creature" named
Adam (because he issues from the red clay of the earth which is called
"Adamah" in Hebrew) with a helpmate, a partner, whom Adam will call "Woman"
and who will have Eve as her name because she is the "mother of the
living." The two are now one and are equal in all respects. We have
already learned in the first creation account they are made in the image
and likeness of God both male and female.(Genesis 1:19).

Children too are surprises in so many ways for their parents. Our Psalm is
a family oriented one--one of the few that gets into the beauty of
homelife. It is around the table that the Psalmist praises God for family
life. "Your wife shall be like a fruitful vine within your home; your
children will be like live shoots around your table." Yes, our God is a
God of loving sruprises. We should learn from all three readings to expect
the surprises of grace that God brings to us each day; sometimes they come
wrapped in humor which is a form of wisdom. We would do well to learn how
to respond as the Syrophoenician woman did who complemented the Jesus'
words with her wisdom like saying and with her profound faith in the
healing power of the Son of God who was one with us as the Son of Man.
Amen.