[stephenkhoo]

WHERE DOES YOUR FIDELITY LIE?
SCRIPTURE READINGS: 1 Kg 11:4-13 ; Ps 106:3-4, 35-36, 37, 40; Mk 7:24-30
http://www.universalis.com/20140213/mass.htm

What is fidelity or loyalty? This theme has been highlighted in the last few days in the liturgy. A couple of days ago, the gospel was concerned with the observation of rules and customs, in particular the rituals of purification. For the Pharisees, it was of absolute importance that the traditions of their ancestors be observed faithfully and meticulously. Theirs was a misplaced fidelity for they were more concerned with external observations rather than the spirit of the act. In contrast, Jesus made it clear that what is truly of importance is not just fidelity to the rituals but one must live the spirit of the rituals. As Jesus said in yesterday’s gospel, what comes out from the heart is what determines the holiness of the person.

Today, we have another illustration of the meaning of fidelity. In this instance, King Solomon was faithful to his foreign wives to the extent that he allowed them to bring their gods to the kingdom, thus allowing paganism and idolatry to infiltrate their worship. By being faithful to his wives, he was being unfaithful to God and the covenant. His attention to his wives made him lose his love for the Lord. Here we have another instance where fidelity has been misplaced.

In contrast, in the gospel, we have the woman who was a Greek, a Syrophoenician by birth. She was certainly faithful to her little daughter, so much so that forsaking her pride she begged Jesus for help in casting the devil out of her little girl. In spite of Jesus’ apparent reluctance, she remained persistent, persevering, and humble, and placed her total trust in God. Indeed her fidelity was likened to that of a house-dog, which was demeaning to the Jews, but she did not take offense, as she knew that only God could help her. She is the exemplar of fidelity.

What about us? Where does our loyalty lie? Do we give priority to God or to man? The truth is that quite often we give greater priority to our friends than to our relationship with the Lord. We indulge in the pleasures and demands of this world, but not in prayer. Do we place emphasis on observing the rules and the requirements of our religious traditions, or do we observe the spirit of the gospel?

If we were to be faithful to the spirit of the gospel, we must be like the woman who was faithful to Jesus. Authentic fidelity demands a prior faith in Jesus. Faith and fidelity are closely linked. Unless we have faith in Jesus, we cannot be faithful to Him. This is true in marriage life. Only when a couple has faith in each other, can they be faithful to each other. Faith creates and builds fidelity. This implies that we must first and foremost be faithful in prayer. Only in prayer can we learn how to discern how not to compromise our values and the core truths.

Jesus for us is the exemplar of fidelity. Unlike Solomon who in trying to reach out to the pagans himself became unfaithful to the Lord, Jesus reached out to the pagans without being distracted from His mission. We know that Jesus Himself initially thought that His mission was only confined to the Jews. But in the face of the rejection of the Jews, He began to realize that His mission was for the whole world. Even Jesus Himself was open to a rethinking of His mission when challenged by the woman. So Jesus remained faithful, even as He exercised flexibility in His ministry. As a human being, He was open to growth and further clarification of His role. Indeed, as the gospel tells us, God is merciful and faithful to His people and covenant.

On our part, we must respond accordingly. This requires that we be firmly rooted in our relationship with the Lord so that in the process of evangelizing non-believers, we do not get absorbed by the system instead. If not, we would have to suffer the consequences of our sins, just as Solomon did when his dynasty was divided into two, under his son, Rehoboam and one of his servants, Jeroboam. Instead of commanding twelve tribes, his kingdom was reduced to a Northern Kingdom under Jeroboam and a southern kingdom comprising two tribes, Judah and Benjamin. Indeed, this is the lesson we must learn from Solomon. We must be strong in our faith before we can deal with people who do not share our values.