Scripture:
Hosea 2:16, 17b-18, 21-22
Matthew 9:18-26
Reflection:
Did you ever notice how we don’t all see events in our lives the same way? My family loves to reminisce at gatherings. What occurs to me when we do, is that despite the fact we grew up in the same household, had the same parents, and shared many of the same events we all seem to recall them differently, so much so, I sometimes think we must have grown up in different households.
Today’s Gospel selection tells of how Jesus saw things differently from those around him and was able to bring new life to his world:
"When Jesus arrived at the official’s house and saw the flute players and the crowd who were making a commotion, he said, "Go away! The girl is not dead but sleeping."* And they ridiculed him. When the crowd was put out, he came and took her by the hand, and the little girl arose. (Mt 9: 23-25)
I pray that I may have the eyes of Faith and see life as Jesus did and as Rogers and Hammerstein suggest in the song A Hundred Million Miracles from The Flower Drum Song 1958.
"…A swallow in Tasmania
Is sitting on her eggs
And suddenly
Those eggs have wings
And eyes and beaks and legs
A hundred million miracles
A little girl in Chungking
Just thirty inches tall
Decides that she
Will try to walk
And nearly doesn’t fall
A hundred million miracles
Miracle of making music
When an idle poet
Puts words on a page
Writes on a page
With his brush
A musical friend
Writes the notes to blend
Suggested
By an idle thrush
Then a young soprano
Reads what they wrote
Learns every note
Every word
Puts all they wrote
In her lovely throat
And suddenly
A song is heard
Very pretty.
Dan O’Donnell is a Passionist Partner and a longtime friend of the Passionists. He lives in Chicago.