Word to the Wise
Thursday, February 9, 2017 - Thursday in the 5th Week in Ordinary Time
[Gen 2:18-25 and Mark 7:24-30]THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2017. THURSDAY IN THE FIFTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME [Genesis 2:18-25 and Mark 7:24-30] The Lord God said: "It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a suitable partner for him...." So the Lord God cast a deep sleep on the man, and while he was asleep, he took out one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh. The Lord God then built up into a woman the rib he had taken from the man. When he brought her to the man, the man said: " This one, at last, is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; this one shall be called 'woman,' for our of 'her man' this one has been taken." That is why a man leaves his father and mother and clings to his wife, and the two of them become one flesh. [Genesis] Today's passage from Genesis is a profound moment in a profound account of creation. "It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a suitable partner for him." The imagination could be playful as God parades all sorts of animals in front of "Adam" before realizing that mud might have been OK for forming Adam, but not Eve. Eve had to be formed of more intimate material. Here it is not just a matter of arguing about dependency of female upon male or even gender politics. It is a matter of realizing that all humans are united in flesh by the creative act of God, and yet there is a difference, not just for reproduction but to overcome the whole profound "aloneness" that man would have without woman. The gospel scripture today shows why that difference makes a difference! That Syro-Phoenician woman is wonderful in her persistent faith. The interplay of the conversation and the mention of children in Jesus' comments bring a sensitivity that makes the story come alive and a miracle forms from the interaction. As the great actor, Maurice Chevalier said: "Vive la difference!" AMEN
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