Peace and Blessings to you!
This weekend the Lord reminds us of the special relationship that we have with him.
In the first reading from the Book of Exodus Moses and the people are camped at the base of a mountain. Moses ascends the mountain to be in God’s presence and hear God’s message. This is what it is to set aside a time and place for prayer, or when we go to the chapel to sit with Jesus and pray. It is a place of petition and quiet. It is more importantly a place where we can hear God speak to our hearts. It must be quiet if we are to hear his soft, quiet whisper. He promises to always respond (Psalm 3:5; Jn 15:7).
In this message through Moses, God wishes to establish the people as his own special people, a “kingdom of priests, a holy nation” provided they always listen to his voice and obey God by living the Covenant that God establishes with them. The people agree and enter the Covenant because they want God’s love, care and protection to be with them always. The Gospel scene depicts the reason why Christ came: the people have strayed from the Covenant. They are troubled and abandoned like sheep without a shepherd. There’s no way to adequately describe their troubles or what it is like to feel abandoned. Jesus, for his part, feels sorry for the people and so he equips the Apostles with divine authority and sends them out to show God’s care for them. At the same time, the works they are doing draws the people back to God. They cast out demons, heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers and manifest God’s care. Jesus has come to re-establish knowledge of God’s Covenant. Jesus calls us to listen to him and follow the way of life he taches through the Church in what he says is a “New and Everlasting Covenant.”
There are many today who say they are Catholic but are far from the Church refusing to listen to Church teaching on a plethora of topics. In recent times it seems to be largely in the areas of sex, sexuality and marriage, the use of contraceptives or the necessity to baptize children and raise them in the practice of the faith. There are many experiencing troubled lives. The remedy for the trouble is the same. For those who are careful to listen and follow the Church, there is a joy-filled connection of life in the Spirit, of truly being a priestly, holy people. How would you describe yourself? Blessings to you all! +++ Fr. Peter