Fulfilling God's Purposes Here on Earth

Today's Scripture, Exodus 2: 1-15, presents the story of Moses' mother, a Levite woman, hiding her infant in reeds on the river bank. Pharaoh's daughter finds him and asked his mother, who is watching nearby, to nurse him. She does so and when the child grew returned him to Pharaoh's daughter.   Moses is raised an Egyptian.

One day, as an adult, Moses sees an Egyptian  striking one of his kinsman and kills him.  The next day, he sees two Hebrews fighting one another and one of them asks: Are you going to kill us, too. Moses realizes that his murder of an Egyptian is known and that Pharaoh is out to kill him. He flees to the land of Midian.

As we know from the rest of the story, Moses is called up from Midian to be God's instrument in freeing the Israelites from the Egyptians. That he murdered a man is no deterrent in God using him for his divine purposes. In Moses' case, he overcomes his fear of Pharaoh and follow God's plan.  Not easy, by any means!

You and I are no different from Moses. We, too, engage in behaviors that, perhaps, we believe make us unworthy of being an instrument in God's hands. Not true, however. Because the works we are to do, or the purposes for which God created us, are accomplished, literally, by the Spirit of God at work through us. The good that we accomplish in this life is not our doing, though we may take credit for the good we do, collecting accolades and awards as though we truly carried out God's will all by ourselves.

Lord, we ask for forgiveness and repent of the times that we usurp Your power, the credit and the glory that belongs to You.  You are God. We are mere creatures, Your children, put here on earth to give You glory and honor and praise.  We are here to learn of You, to see Your glory here on earth and to be Your servants!







 

God's Work Cannot Be Destroyed

In today's first reading, Exodus 1: 8-14, 22, the Egyptian authorities execute a decree to oppress the Israelites, their slaves,as their population is increasing, afraid that,in times of war with other nations, the Israelites will join Egypt's enemies and turn against them and  also leave the country.  "Let us deal shrewdly with them to stop their increase....Yet the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied."

So, too, with Christianity!  God's work cannot be destroyed. The work of the Holy Spirit is unstoppable, then and now!

No matter how the cross appears--outside oppression, internal turmoil, ill health, failure of some sort or whatever-- whatever suffering you and I endure in faith and in trusting the Lord, our faith will deepen and our love grow stronger and more extensive. Suffering endured in faith will yield fruit that will last into eternity!

In Jesus' suffering, Jesus never lost sight of His Father's delight and love of Him and of us.  May you and I, likewise in our sufferings, not lose sight of God's delight in us,  His love for us, and His nearness, giving us the strength we need to grow in faith and trust of the Lord!  May we look to God for help to realize how much we depend upon God to grow in faith and love especially during times of trial, turbulence, and pain!





 

Learning to Rely upon Jesus

In today's first reading, Gen 49: 29-32; 50: 55-26, Joseph's brothers, following their father Jacob's death, are afraid that their brother Joseph, whom they  treated so cruelly by selling him as a slave into Egypt, would take revenge upon them. So they approached Joseph, begging for mercy:  "'Please, ...forgive the crime that we, the servants of your father's God, committed.' When they spoke these words to him, Joseph broke into tears. Then his brothers proceeded to fling themselves down before him and said, 'Let us be your salves!'  But Joseph replied to them; 'Have no fear. Can I take the place of God? Even though you meant harm to me, God meant it for good, to achieve the present end, the survival of many  people.'"

Feelings are natural reactions to situations in our lives, and, of themselves, are not sinful. However, when entertained and obsessed about, we make ourselves vulnerable to choosing actions based upon those negative feelings. Joseph's brothers did just that.  By feeding their jealousy and anger, the brothers fell  into sin by planning murder. Changing their plan to kill Joseph, they  expressed their anger by selling Joseph to Ishmaelites on their way to Egypt. To cover up their crime, they soaked Joseph's colored cloak in animal's blood to look as though he suffered a fatal attack by a wild beasts.

When have you and I entertained feelings of jealousy, anger, revenge? To what did those feelings lead us? Did we redirect our attention? Or did we act upon those feelings?  We have a choice to do either!
Let us turn our focus on Jesus, say the name Jesus and ask for help rather than relying upon ourselves to deal with situations that are problematic for us!

Trusting, Believing and Following the Lord to Freedom

In today's first reading, Gen 22: 1b-19,  God challenges Abraham's distorted thinking that he had to sacrifice the first fruits of his offspring to God.  Believing this cultural tradition, Abraham takes his son Isaac to a place where he intends to sacrifice him to the Lord. As Abraham approaches the place of sacrifice, he places wood on his son's back and continues the journey, leaving his servants behind at that point.  Isaac says to his father:  "Here are the fire and the wood, but where is the sheep for the burnt offering?"  Abraham replies:  "God himself will provide the sheep for the burnt offering."  And God does so, stopping Abraham from harming his son at the very point at which he is about to kill him!  God sends a messenger from heaven who calls out:  "Abraham, Abraham!...Do not lay your hand on the boy...Do not do the least thing to him. I know now how devoted you are to God,  since you did not withhold from me your own beloved son."  Abraham looks about and sees a ram caught by his horns in a thicket!

What do we learn about God from this passage? 

• That God knows our thoughts even before we do!
• That God provides for our needs
• That God tests our faith in many ways
• That God uses even our distorted thinking to reveal Himself and His will for us
• That God will and can stop us from engaging in wrongdoing
• That God challenges our distortions and guides us to the truth
• That God frees us from the power of Satan

Based on this passage from Genesis 22: 1b-19, how am I, are you, to live our lives?

• Trusting the in Lord, as Abraham did
• Realizing that God is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow
• Following God's way, being cautious of the ego's power to mislead us into doing what is contrary to God's will, though what we are contemplating looks like the right thing to do
• Remembering that God will provide for all our needs and that the sacrifice God desires of us is the one we remember during the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass: Jesus' life, suffering, death and resurrection as well as our own

God: A God of Imminence, of Compassion and Power to Save

In today's first reading, Gen.  19: 15-29, God sends angels to lead Lot and his family out of Sodom, which God is about to destroy because of the wickedness of the people.  In the today's Gospel, Matthew 8: 23-27, Jesus saves his disciple from a storm at sea.  Both readings reveal a God who is imminent, compassionate, and aware of times that we are in danger. God is a God always ready to help us in time of need. 

How should you and I live according to these Scripture readings?  God, I believe, would say to us:  Live in complete trust of Me, Your Savior, and of God, your Father and the Holy Spirit, your Sanctifier. By your lives, may other people know that I am an imminent God, a God whom you trust, confide in and love with your whole heart.  Learn from Lot to trust me when I send angels to direct you out of danger.  From the disciples in the boat thrown about by turbulent weather, learn to call upon Me in your need. I am never asleep, as the disciples thought I was.  Know, as they learned, that no storm is too great for Me or the Father or the Spirit to calm.  We will keep you safe always!

Choosing God's Way

In today's first reading, Acts 2: 16-20, 3--31, St. Paul appeals to the leaders of the Jews in Rome, where he is under house arrest. He says to them: "My brothers, although I had done nothing against our people or our ancestral customs, I was handed over to the Romans as a prisoner from Jerusalem. After trying my case the Romans wanted to release me, because they found nothing against me deserving the death penalty. But when the Jews objected, I was obliged to appeal to Caesar, even though I had no accusation to make against my own nation. This is the reason, then, I have requested to see you and speak with  you, for it is on account of the hopes of Israel that I wear these chains."  His appeal for freedom was rejected. However, Paul continues to speak about Jesus and proclaiming the Kingdom to anyone who visited him. Luke, the author of Acts, says: "He received all who came to him, and with complete assurance and without hindrance he proclaimed the Kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ."

What do you and I do when what we ask for is not granted?  Like Paul, God's plan for us to proclaim or build up the Kingdom and/or speak about Jesus does not change. Only the circumstances around which we carry out the assignment God has given us changes.  Do I let go of my hurt in not having my ego requests granted and continue being Jesus' disciple or do I hold on to my grudges, dig in my heals and refuse to do the Lord's bidding? Do I let my ego edge out God?

God's Gift of Freedom and Protection

Today's Entrance Antiphon reminds each one of us that  "the Lord became [our] protector. He brought [us] out to a place of freedom; he saved [us] because he delighted in us."   We could rewrite that as a personal message, the Lord saying to each one of us:  "I  am YOUR protector. I bring YOU out to a place of freedom; I save YOU because I delight in YOU." We might recall the many times that the Lord has protected us from disasters on the highway, from serious illnesses that attacked others and took their lives, from job losses suffered by co-workers, from abusive marriages, from mental illnesses, from suicidal thoughts or actions, from making disastrous mistakes in choosing a partner in life. Or, we may think of the times that God brought us out to places "of freedom": out of serious depressions, out of thoughts of suicide or debilitating anxiety, out of disasters from which we thought we'd never recover.

On the other hand, we might simply ponder deeply the phrase "I delight in YOU." The God of the Universe delights in us.  The Creator of all humankind delights in you and me personally. The God who created the galaxies, the sun and the moon, the stars, the earth with its oceans and landscapes, its trees and wildlife, its seasons, night and day delights in you and me personally! God so delights in you and me that the Almighty, the Holy One, has taken up residence in each one of us! With His Presence, God anoints us as His Beloved. With His Presence God strengthens us, purifies us, makes us holy, sustains us and reconciles us to Himself when we fall into Satan's trap, as did Adam and Eve before us.  Our God is a God of relationships, drawing us into an intimate relationship with Himself and with one another, showing us the way of Love!

God be praised and glorified by our lives of love and unity!