Affairs of the Lord

A Reflection on the Second Reading for Sunday, January 28th, 2024:
Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time

---

1 Corinthians
7.32-35

​Brothers and sisters, I want you to be free from anxieties. The unmarried man is anxious about the affairs of the Lord, how to please the Lord; but the married man is anxious about the affairs of the world, how to please his wife, and his interests are divided.

The unmarried woman and the virgin are concerned about the affairs of the Lord, so that they may be holy in body and spirit; but the married woman is concerned about the affairs of the world, how to please her husband.

I say this for your own benefit, not to put any restraint upon you, but to promote good order and unhindered devotion to the Lord.

Pause. Pray. Reflect.

Two of my favourite “unmarried women" in the Bible are Ruth and Rahab. Well, I’m speaking of Ruth after she became a widow, which makes her unmarried for the purposes of this reflection. 

What did  it mean for Ruth and Rahab to be “concerned about the affairs of the Lord”? 

Ruth was completely devoted to the sole relationship in her life – her relationship with her mother-in-law, Naomi. Ruth was concerned about Naomi’s well-being. She went with Naomi to a new and unknown land because she knew that the Lord had placed this one relationship in her life and that she ought to be faithful to it. It was through Ruth’s faithfulness to her mother-in-law that she, as a woman of Moab, discovered the God of Israel. 

Similarly, Rahab, the Canaanite prostitute, knew that the Lord was calling her to be a part of His “affairs” by hiding and guiding two Israelite spies. Through her interactions with them, and through the changes that came about in her day-to-day living from then onwards, Rahab discovered the Lord and stayed faithful to Him.

Just like Ruth and Rahab, each woman, be she married, unmarried or in a complicated state of life, is called to be “concerned about the affairs of the Lord” and faithful to Him in all her doings.

As an unmarried woman, I have recently come to peace with the fact that all my energy does not need to be consumed by self-pity for my state in life. I do not need to compare myself to all and sundry around me. I need only be concerned about the affairs that the Lord has placed in my hands. I am blessed with a fulfilling job as a high school teacher in an amazing Christian school, and I know it is my duty to strive to be more like Jesus in my interactions with my students and my co-workers. 

The Lord has also placed me in the midst of a vibrant church community. As a part of various ministries, I need to aim to be Christ-like in my interactions and relationships with those around me. I am truly fortunate to have the time and the capacity to be “concerned about the affairs of the Lord” through my work and my parish community. 

I recognise that God gives us a vocation to keep us close to Him and to give us the capacity to be as holy as possible in our respective states of life. I firmly believe that I am meant to be single and “unmarried” as I start 2024. God knows that this is what is best for me at this point in time. Every person who crosses my path is who I need for this moment. Each one of you reading this reflection is meant to benefit from my ponderings about the “unmarried woman” who is “concerned about the affairs of the Lord.” Like Ruth and Rahab, all we need do is remain faithful to Our Creator to the best of our abilities. 

Heavenly Father, thank you for bringing me a sense of peace about my state in life for now. Thank you for introducing me to suitable role models like Ruth and Rahab from your Holy Bible. Bless me with devotion and dedication to do your will. Amen.



​Rebecca D'mello​

---