The Power of God to Save

Homily fior Wednesday of the Thirteenth Week in Ordinary Time

As you probably have heard me say on another occasion, Psalm 34 is a personal favorite of mine. This is so not only because of the things that this psalm teaches us but also because of the intricate design of the psalm. Using each successive letter of the Hebrew alphabet, the psalmist writes a poem or hymn in which each successive verse begins with that letter. Because of this aspect of the composer’s skill, there is very little unity within the psalm. Each verse can be taken as an important statement in itself.

We begin our responsorial with the verse seven: “When the poor ones called out, the LORD heard, and from all their distress God saved them.” Both Hagar and the demoniacs in the territory of the Gadarenes are in distress. Hagar’s distress is the result of Sarah’s jealousy. The demoniacs’ distress comes from the fact that they are being tortured by some demon. In each instance, we find ourselves troubled by their plight. Abraham is also distressed. However, with God’s assurance that Ishmael will survive, Abraham gives in to Sarah’s demands. In the case of the demoniacs, we are also troubled by the fact that Jesus expels them at the cost of a whole herd of pigs which was a source of food for the Gentiles. We have to wonder what those around them thought of these matters.

No one is beyond the power of God to save. No matter how desperate things are, we should never give up on either ourselves or other people. In these two stories, God does come to their assistance. While we may question the outcome and the suffering that is part of the tales, God’s power does win out in the end.

We also celebrate the memory of St. Elizabeth of Portugal today. She was born into royalty in Spain and, while she enjoyed a very privileged life, Elizabeth spent much of her youth in devotion to God. Her father pledged her at a very young age to the king of Portugal, and she became his wife at the tender age of 14. Her innate goodness and abiding faith were evident in all she did and eventually helped her husband to reform in his later years. One telling quote attributed to her is "God made me queen so that I may serve others." This quote exemplifies her life of service and peacemaker. She lived her faith even when not the popular thing to do and won many over to seeing the power of God in all things. She was an instrument of God’s power to save.

Our reception of the Eucharist today is a powerful way we receive God’s saving power in our own lives.