July 27,2009

Tuesday July 18, 2009 of the 17th Week in Ordinary Time
Readings; “ Exodus33:7-11; 34: 5b-9, 28 Psalm 103: 6-13 Matthew 13: 36-43
Psalm Response: “The Lord is kind and merciful”

The establishment of a meeting place for adoration and petition was foretold in the “meeting tent”. It was a place where the religious leaders of the people could enter and confer with their God.
Moses, the High Priest, was the first to meet with God. Others, who followed in the High Priest role later were the only ones permitted to enter into the “Holy of Holies” beyond the veil to petition God and to prophesize, speak for God, whatever it was God revealed to him.
God reissued the Commandments and Moses did Him homage while Joshua, his successor, awaited his emergence from the meeting tent.
Moses’ forty days and forty night vigil prefigured the same period of days Christ, as the “Prophet like me”, Moses referred to as the one who would speak in God’s name, fasted before entering into His mission as the true spokesman for God.

The psalmist reminds us of God’s tenderness and mercy. He knows of our inheritance from our first parents the tendency to disregard His commands. However, in our imperfect selves, we can be confident, when we implore His mercy, it will be graciously given. The metaphor “East from West” is to describe in infinite terms the mercy God has for the repentant sinner.

Unfortunately, we don’t recognize Satan’s hand in the world as the instigator of all sin. We think, by our own volition, our human nature lures us into sinful acts. However, if the “tempter” were not busy securing our permission to engage in sinful acts, we wouldn’t, of our own volition, even think of the deeds he promulgates. It is up to us to build the barrier against him with constant prayer and supplication. God will not allow us to be tempted against our conscience, if we are always calling to Him for His help!