There's a quote in the movie, “The Godfather,” that struck me, particularly as I read and prayed about today’s readings.
In the movie, the main characters discuss how to handle a dispute among rival gangs. One character, attempting to calm the other, says, “It’s not personal; it’s strictly business.”
In every way and every situation, God’s message to us is the opposite. God’s relationship with us and all people is always personal.
Some people might use language or even think in vague terms, like referring to God as “the man upstairs” or a “higher power.” However, we know that God has sent His only Son, Jesus, to engage us in a personal relationship. Our interaction with God is not strictly business or merely transactional like a contractual agreement with a bank or a contractor doing a home repair. It's a relationship based on love, care, and understanding.
God, though our Creator and redeemer, wants us to understand our relationship with Him as adopted sons and daughters; not distant or abstract, but intimately connected to Him, His Son, and the Holy Spirit.
Think for a moment about those you are closest to: your family and closest friends. Now compare those real people with merely the idea of a family member or friend … or perhaps compare those closest to you with the person who you bought your car from or who prepared your taxes. There’s a big difference, unless you bought your car from a family friend or your wife does your taxes!
But you get the point. This is what we see in the gospel: the personal interaction between the synagogue official and Jesus, and the woman who has suffered greatly and Jesus.
They both approach Jesus, the Son of God and Son of Mary, and seek healing; one for a child and one for herself. They don’t offer Jesus money or land in exchange for healing, but instead, like we would a family member or good friend, they turn to Jesus for help, believing that He cares and will do everything He can for them. They, like the psalmist, believe that “the Lord is gracious and merciful.”
How do we think about how we relate to God? What did we learn in our family about how to speak of God or pray or worship? Do we seek to grow in friendship with Jesus by sharing our lives with Him, not just on Sundays but every day?
In the reading from Hosea, we hear that the Lord will speak to our hearts and deepen or, in some cases, renew our relationship with Him. Let us pray for one another and our families for the attention to the Lord speaking to our hearts and to always remember that with God, it is always personal; it is always out of love.
Reverend David S. Marcham is the Vice Postulator for the Cause of Venerable Patrick Peyton, and Director of the Father Peyton Guild, whose members pray for Father Peyton’s beatification and spread his message of the importance of Family Prayer. Prior to becoming a seminarian, Father David was a physical therapist and clinical instructor, serving hospital inpatients and outpatients throughout the greater Boston area for eleven years. In 1998 he heard the call to priesthood and was ordained in the Archdiocese of Boston in 2005. Father David grew up in Quincy, MA, and has fond memories of playing soccer, tennis and running track. You’re never without a friend when Father David is around, as he welcomes everyone into his circle with a smile on his face!
