Tuesday August 11, 2009

Tuesday August 11, 2009 of the 19th Week of Ordinary Time
Readings: Deuteronomy 31:1-8 Deuteronomy32: 3-4, 7-9, 12 Matthew 18: 1-5, 10, 12-14
Psalm Response: “ The portion of the Lord is His people”

Before Moses went to his reward, he named his successor, Joshua, who would lead the nation of Israel into the land beyond the Jordon, overcoming it by God’s direction and order. Israel was the only nation in the world which honored the monotheistic tradition. The rest of the world served all sorts of gods, made of wood and stone and other materials. They adored them and sacrificed to them as though they breathed and felt and lived. God had deigned they were idolaters, and since they denied Him, He denied them.
Moses had been instructed to name Joshua his successor and before he slept with his ancestors, Moses conferred his authority upon Joshua. This was perhaps a foretelling of the successorship tradition later used by the Apostles to perpetuate the priesthood of Christ.

The psalm proposes the “Rock” as its leader; to be infallible. Paul, in his letters often referred to Christ as the “Rock”. Christ Himself selected Peter, the Rock” to be His Vicar when He was not physically present. Peter, in his turn had several members of the Church as his successor but they allowed the Holy Spirit to make the actual selection down to the present Vicar Pope Benedict XVI.

Christ selects a child as the example of pure faith to indicate who would be the leader or the greatest in His kingdom. The disciples thought He would select someone from their number. They were shocked He would name a child. However, He was using metaphor to indicate the attitude necessary to become a leader among His people. When we are child- like in our actions, that is, trusting and not faithless, we are the example He wants to carry out His work. He depended on His father for His power. We are expected to depend on Him for our direction and purpose!