August 8, 2009
Memorial of St. Dominic
"Hear, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD alone! Therefore, you shall love the LORD, your God, with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength. Deuteronomy 6:4-5
He said to them, "Because of your little faith. Amen, I say to you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you." Matthew 17:20
Piety
According to a meditation in the breviary for today, a frequent and special prayer of St. Dominic was that God might fill him with that genuine love which is so effective in providing for and procuring the salvation of people. St. Dominic thought that he would be truly a member of Christ’s family when he would be totally dedicated with an undivided heart to helping save souls, just as Jesus gave himself wholly to the work of our salvation.
Spirit of the living God, fall fresh on me.
Spirit of the living God, fall fresh on me.
Melt me, mold me, fill me, use me.
Spirit of the living God, fall fresh on me.
Study
The words from the Hebrew Bible today teach us that “since the Lord alone is God, we must love him with an undivided heart.” Jesus went on to cite this as “the greatest and the first commandment.”
Embracing the words is an important first step. However, we can not stop there with some interior hold on the love of God. The other lesson from Deuteronomy is that we must let the words come alive in our exterior lives. “You shall love the LORD, your God, with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength.” Deuteronomy 6:5
This passage and what comes next nearly predicts the founding of Christian gift shops and book stores. You can imagine the wrist bands, doorposts, tattoos, and other product line extensions that some enterprising marketer could develop when reading this passage.
Take to heart these words which I enjoin on you today. Drill them into your children. Speak of them at home and abroad, whether you are busy or at rest. Bind them at your wrist as a sign and let them be as a pendant on your forehead. Write them on the doorposts of your houses and on your gates. Deuteronomy 6:6-9
Teach your children.
Speak out about the friendship that Jesus has in your life.
Don’t be afraid or ashamed to wear outward signs showing your devotion to God personally or to post such messages on your home, car or office.
If we just had a small amount of such faith, then nothing would be impossible…not even moving mountains. Is it any wonder why Jesus seems so exasperated with his disciples? After all Jesus has done and taught, they still keep asking him to do the heavy lifting – in this case curing the son who is disturbed. Jesus does what he is asked. Do we return the favor?
Why were the disciples not successful? Some bibles (not the NAB) add a key clause at the end of this reading. “But this kind of faith does not come about except by prayer and fasting.” So while the disciples are worried about why they can not drive out demons and cure the sick, Jesus teaches them the means to accomplish such healing.
Action
What holds us back from having and exercising a faith the size of a mustard seed?
Perhaps we are not giving the Lord our undivided attention. The commandment in the Hebrew Bible is explicit. “You shall love the LORD, your God, with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength.” Deuteronomy 6:5
Does something else have a hold on our heart?
Does something else have a conflicting command on our soul?
Does something else compete for our physical energy and strength?
If you answered yes to any of these questions, what is it that holds, conflicts or competes with God for your undivided attention? If you can divorce yourself from these worldly demands, what mountain will you try to move? The mountain of homelessness? The mountain of disease (AIDS, breast cancer, heart disease, etc.)? The mountain of mental illness and anguish?
Jesus urges us to use our faith to perform good works.
