Reading 1
Sir 1:1-10
All wisdom comes from the LORD
and with him it remains forever, and is before all time
The sand of the seashore, the drops of rain,
the days of eternity: who can number these?
Heaven’s height, earth’s breadth,
the depths of the abyss: who can explore these?
Before all things else wisdom was created;
and prudent understanding, from eternity.
The word of God on high is the fountain of wisdom
and her ways are everlasting.
To whom has wisdom’s root been revealed?
Who knows her subtleties?
To whom has the discipline of wisdom been revealed?
And who has understood the multiplicity of her ways ?
There is but one, wise and truly awe-inspiring,
seated upon his throne:
There is but one, Most High
all-powerful creator-king and truly awe-inspiring one,
seated upon his throne and he is the God of dominion.
It is the LORD; he created her through the Holy Spirit,
has seen her and taken note of her.
He has poured her forth upon all his works,
upon every living thing according to his bounty;
he has lavished her upon his friends.
Ps 93:1ab, 1cd-2, 5
Responsorial PsalmR. (1a)
The Lord is king; he is robed in majesty.
The LORD is king, in splendor robed;
robed is the LORD and girt about with strength.
R. The Lord is king; he is robed in majesty.
And he has made the world firm,
not to be moved.
Your throne stands firm from of old;
from everlasting you are, O LORD.
R. The Lord is king; he is robed in majesty.
Your decrees are worthy of trust indeed:
holiness befits your house,
O LORD, for length of days.
R. The Lord is king; he is robed in majesty.
Gospel
Mk 9:14-29
As Jesus came down from the mountain with Peter, James, John
and approached the other disciples,
they saw a large crowd around them and scribes arguing with them.
Immediately on seeing him,
the whole crowd was utterly amazed.
They ran up to him and greeted him.
He asked them, “What are you arguing about with them?”
Someone from the crowd answered him,
“Teacher, I have brought to you my son possessed by a mute spirit.
Wherever it seizes him, it throws him down;
he foams at the mouth, grinds his teeth, and becomes rigid.
I asked your disciples to drive it out, but they were unable to do so.”
He said to them in reply,
“O faithless generation, how long will I be with you?
How long will I endure you? Bring him to me.”
They brought the boy to him.
And when he saw him,
the spirit immediately threw the boy into convulsions.
As he fell to the ground, he began to roll around
and foam at the mouth.
Then he questioned his father,
“How long has this been happening to him?”
He replied, “Since childhood.
It has often thrown him into fire and into water to kill him.
But if you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.”
Jesus said to him,
“‘If you can!’ Everything is possible to one who has faith.”
Then the boy’s father cried out, “I do believe, help my unbelief!”
Jesus, on seeing a crowd rapidly gathering,
rebuked the unclean spirit and said to it,
“Mute and deaf spirit, I command you:
come out of him and never enter him again!”
Shouting and throwing the boy into convulsions, it came out.
He became like a corpse, which caused many to say, “He is dead!”
But Jesus took him by the hand, raised him, and he stood up.
When he entered the house, his disciples asked him in private,
“Why could we not drive the spirit out?”
He said to them, “This kind can only come out through prayer.”
Meditation: Sirach 1:1-10
“Fear of the Lord warms the heart.” (Sirach 1:10)
The Book of Sirach comes out of the “wisdom” tradition that also gave us books like Proverbs and Job. This compilation was written in Hebrew by a fellow named Jesus ben Sirach around 200 b.c.and translated into Greek seventy years later by his grandson. In his introduction, he commends his grandfather not only for studying the law, the prophets, and the other sacred writings but also for trying to help other people understand them. And so he invites us to read the book “in a spirit of attentive good will” (Sirach Introduction, verse 15).
All wisdom has its source in God, who lavishes it on his friends. Like the other wisdom writers, Sirach tells us that “fear of the Lord” is the beginning and the end of human wisdom (Sirach 1:1,12).
Perhaps you were raised with the notion of God as a stern judge keeping careful watch, waiting to pounce on your slightest indiscretion and punish you severely. Who wouldn’t fear such a Lord, powerful enough to make it extremely uncomfortable for his subjects? But how could this kind of servile fear lead to “glory and splendor, gladness and a festive crown”? How could it “warm the heart, giving gladness and joy” (Sirach 1:9,10)?
No, reverence for the God revealed in Scripture is nothing like that. To fear God is to be in awe of his power and knowledge. To fear him is to bow before mysteries we can never comprehend, like the fact that God gave us freedom to choose, even though our free choices often have dire consequences for ourselves and others. To fear God is to dare to believe that he created each one of us to know, love, and serve him in this life and be happy with him forever.
God is so much greater than we could ever ask, and so much closer than we could ever imagine. He loves us so much that he has taken on our flesh, forgiven our sins, and defeated our most terrifying enemies—even the last enemy, death.
This is a God to love, a God to reverence, and a God to honor with our whole lives!
“Lord, I am in awe of your majesty, your power, and your holiness. Most of all, I am in awe of your love. Let that love empower me to please you in all my thoughts, words, and actions.”
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