July 20, 2009

Monday July 20, 2009 of the 16th Week in ordinary Time
Readings: Exodus 14: 5-18 Psalm 15: 2-6 Matthew 12: 38-42

In the Gospels, Jesus states, “If you have the Faith of a mustard seed, you could say to a mountain be uprooted and deposit yourself in the sea and it would be done,”
Why are we so little of Fith?
We are like the Pharisees in today’s Gospel; we want a sign! Some manifestation God can do the things He says He can.
Today’s first reading demonstrates a Faith unlike ours. The people of Jacod, all 600,000 of them and their wives and children embark across the desert unaware of the perils they would be facing.
Pharaoh regretted his decision to let them go and marshaled his troops and chariots to pursue them and bring them back. He didn’t have the Faith to believe their God would protect them.
The Children of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob were also a bit reticent when they saw the hordes following after them. Here they are in the desert with no edible and little water. They wondered aloud, “Did you bring us out here to be slaughtered by the Pharaoh?”
Even the charioteers were optimistic! How could 6000 of them face 600,000 and more people?
However, Moses’ Faith made up for their lack. “ Fear not”, h said. Fully expecting God would intervene in their dilemma.
Then in a display of Divine prerogative, God directed Moses to use the staff with which he had caused the plagues and order the Sea to part and allow the Hebrews to pass through the sea on dry land.
Even though the odds were against them the Chariots and the Charioteers blithely sauntered ahead as though this phenomena was perfectly normal but they would overcome.
Oh that we could have a sliver of the Faith of the participants in this Godly battle.

Briefly, the psalmist understands the power of the Divine. He had no doubts about the outcome of tussle. If we could truly expect God’s intervention when we are faced with temptation and disaster even impossible situations would pale before His heavenly presence.
Always looking for proof, the opponents of Jesus wanted tangible evidence of His authority.
Jesus then tells them of the story of Jonah and His relation to the three days in the belly of the whale. He would also be in the throes of corruption for three days
but would overcome!
The people of Nineveh repented and were therefore not destroyed. Although Jonah wasn’t happy about the decision of God,( h wanted them dead!) Jesus pointed out
They were also God’s people and He is always ready to forgive the repentant.
Solomon’s wisdom was legendary. So much so the Queen of the South had to see for herself. Jesus’ actions were of such moment, how could they not emulate the action of the Ninevehites and Sheba?