Monday of the Third Week of Lent
Oftentimes as I read about the lives of the saints or current day holy people like Mother Teresa, I find myself thinking, “If only I could have such amazing God experiences in my life.” I think that today’s readings remind us that God’s grace is found in the ordinary experiences of our lives, and sometimes it is our hardheartedness that prevents us from seeing God right in our midst. Being grateful is one way that we can become more aware of God’s presence in our lives.
In the first reading today, Naaman was a Syrian army commander with leprosy. One of his servants was a young Israelite girl who suggested that Naaman seek healing from the “prophet of Samaria”. Naaman went to Elisha who instructed him to “Go and wash seven times in the Jordan, and your flesh will heal, and you will be clean.” (2 Kings 5:10) Naaman was incensed that Elisha did not suggest a more extraordinary means for his healing. He was so skeptical of the potential for healing in this simple bathing in the river that he turned to walk away in anger. His servants, however, questioned him saying “if the prophet had told you to something extraordinary, would you not have done it?” (2 Kings 5:13) He relented and performed the washing and was healed of his illness. In this healing, he not only was healed physically, but turned to God in faith and believed. Naaman was looking for amazing signs and wonders to show him God’s power, but he found healing in the simple washing of the water. When we recognize God’s holiness even in the most ordinary things, we become aware of how intimately God is a part of our lives. This knowledge leads to gratefulness, which leads to a deeper love and faith in such a compassionate God.
In the gospel, Jesus is talking to the people of Nazareth. Those that were gathered in the synagogue were the same people who had seen Jesus grow up, and they could not believe that He could be a prophet or a messiah. They knew Him only as “Joseph’s son” and therefore were unable to see Him as God’s Son and experience His power. Jesus rebukes them for their unbelief. He reminds them that “no prophet is accepted in his own native place” (Luke 4: 24) and therefore God’s power is not able to be known. Jesus even refers to Naaman’s healing and indicates that it was the lack of faith of the Israelites long ago that prevented God’s healing power to be experienced. The people of Nazareth like the Israelites during Elisha’s time could not see the prophets of God and experience God’s power even though these prophets lived amongst them.
Sometimes I think it is very hard for me to find God in the everyday routines of my life. I am sometimes like Naaman and expect that God should reveal Himself in some sensational way. Yet what is truly remarkable is that God is there in the little details of my life. I have found that being grateful is one way to help increase my awareness of God. This Lent as part of my Lenten discipline, I decided to make my prayer time one of being grateful. Every evening I reflect on the day and find 10 things for which I am grateful. I write these down and I think about how each thing, person, or event reflects God’s care and love for me. Whether it is the delicious taste of homemade maple syrup, a surprise visit from a family member, a beautiful starry night sky, or completing a household chore, I can find God’s blessing when I have a thankful heart. The more I see God in the ordinary, the more I understand that He is so much a part of my life. I know that I am like the people in Nazareth in many ways. Jesus walks in my midst in the people that I meet in my life, but I am too stubborn and nearsighted to see Him. It is hard to recognize him when I have certain expectations of what He should look like. As I focus on gratitude, I can see each person as one way that God chooses to reveal Himself to me. In so many ways, gratitude removes the narrow minded views of my life. With this new vision I realize that what I think of as being ordinary is really the extraordinary touch of God, and it is all around me! St. Teresa of Avila expressed the importance of gratitude in the ordinary things of our lives, when she wrote,” In all created things discern the providence and wisdom of God, and in all things give Him thanks.” May our gratitude bring us closer to God and may this thankfulness be a worthy offering of our love and trust in Him.
"Heavenly Father, our daily lives are filled with so many expressions of your love and presence. May we increase our gratefulness for all that You are and all that you do for us. May Christ be visible to us in every person that we encounter, and filled with your Spirit, may we recognize your extraordinary grace in even the most ordinary moments of each day, Amen.
- Marylynn Herchline