Thursday March 26, 2009

THURSDAY MARCH 26, 2009 of the 4th week in Lent
Readings: Exodus 32: 7-14 Psalm 106 John 5:31-43
Psalm Response: Remember us, O Lord, as You favor Your people

Since we’ve been taught God is omnipotent, knows the present, the past and the future at once, we can’t imagine God being mad at the Israelite’s behavior after all He did for them. After all, He knew they were going to go astray, so, what’s the big deal?
In addition to our own intelligence, God in His infinite Wisdom gave us free will! Therefore, He allows us to make decisions; even if they’re imperfect knowing His Grace is sufficient for us all, if, we accept it. It’s a free gift. However, a gift doesn’t become a gift without a recipient!
How can we and the Israelites become inured with God? Simply by accepting His Grace!
For four hundred years, according to Scripture, the Hebrews wallowed in the Egyptian society with its massive superstition, its adoration of bovine creatures and man-made images of them. Therefore, when, even after being rescued from captivity by God’s actions on their behalf, when things began to look bleak, they reverted to their old habits and devised an image to which they could readily relate.
So, Moses, made sense of it all to God and He forgot their short memory and gave in to Moses’ intercession for them.
Our idols aren’t the same images made by man but they take the forms familiar to us: cars, homes, pleasures, etc!
Fortunately, for us, Christ became a man and experienced our proclivities. Although we believe He suppressed His own will for His Fathers, He at times paused as we do, before He made the ultimate, proper decision.

The psalm reiterates the efforts of the Hebrews to find an answer to their present problems. Unfortunately, he was writing long after the Exodus incident while in Babylon; so, while he could commiserate he had no permanent solution.

Jesus is a little perturbed at the religious leaders. His answers are not their preconceived notions, so they discount Him. They do have a modicum of interest in what John the Baptist had to say, but his words, declaring Jesus to be the One sent from God wasn’t enough, so, they discounted him.
Even if John wasn’t absolute in his proclamation, their favorite proof, signs of Divine providence; healings, resuscitations, cleansings etc., also didn’t move them to belief.
So, their judgment will come from Moses and the Scriptures as they both plainly foretold His coming and His credibility.
Hopefully, we’ll take the “light/darkness“ comparison to heart and not fall into disbelief because we can’t feel, touch, grasp every item of our Faith.
Sometimes, the obvious is hidden; not to keep us in the dark, but to reveal truth through the light of the Church He left us more than 2000 years age.