“Forty days you spent in scouting the land; forty years shall you suffer for your crimes: one year for each day. Thus you will realize what it means to oppose me.” (NM 14: 34)
At that time it was the only way: “thus you will realize what it means to oppose me.” In this time God gave us His Son to take all our sins and all our weaknesses to the Cross—“thus we will realize what it means to oppose Him.”
“A great prophet has arisen in our midst and God has visited his people.” (Gospel Acclamation)
“When the men of that place recognized him, they sent word to all the surrounding country.” (MT 14: 35)
How important for society is the scenario: “when the men of that place recognized him.” Sometimes even one man will be enough. When we receive grace to recognize Our Lord’s presence within His word, we can always “send word to all the surrounding country” like our family, our friends or our neighbors.
“Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel.” (Gospel Acclamation)
“Taking the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, he said the blessing, broke the loaves, and gave them to the disciples, who in turn gave them to the crowds.” (MT 14: 19)
The same rule applies to present disciples—whatever we receive from Our Lord, give to the crowds. Even if we do not have much, still we can bring Him our “five loaves and two fish,” and with His blessing, we can answer for many needs.
“One does not live on bread alone, but by every word that comes forth from the mouth of God.” (Gospel Acclamation)
“You should put away the old self of your former way of life, corrupted through deceitful desires, and be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and put on the new self, created in God’s way in righteousness and holiness of truth.” (EPH 4: 22-24)
There is always and everyday a new chance for us “to put away the old self” and “put on the new self.” The right way is to go “in God’s way in righteousness and holiness of truth.” With every word of God, we can receive the beauty of life based on truth.
“One does not live on bread alone, but by every word that comes forth from the mouth of God.” (Gospel Acclamation)
“This fiftieth year you shall make sacred by proclaiming liberty in the land for all its inhabitants. It shall be a jubilee for you.” (LV 25: 10)
Time especially for God is also time for us. This jubilee is to go back to our freedom “by proclaiming liberty in the land for all its inhabitants” and to remember that everything (even persecution) in our lives is to make us ready to go to Heaven.
“Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.” (Gospel Acclamation)
“Beginning with the day after the sabbath, the day on which you bring the wave-offering sheaf, you shall count seven full weeks, and then on the day after the seventh week, the fiftieth day, you shall present the new cereal offering to the LORD.” (LV 23: 15-16
The calendar is full of meetings with the Lord, with details about counting, when to start and what to bring to the Lord. Even if we use different calendars: the academic year, the meteorological year, the hunting year and so many others, we should remember that our calendar and our days are always to bring us closer to Our Lord and to make us stronger believers. Not only His words, but He Himself is also with us forever–in every particular day, and hour, and minute, and second.
“The word of the Lord remains forever; this is the word that has been proclaimed to you.” (Gospel Acclamation)
“Moses did exactly as the LORD had commanded him.” (EX 40: 16)
Moses had a huge respect for God’s commands. He took care of all the details, all the elements and every measurement. He acted at a precise time and place with all of these elements, just to prepare a space for God’s presence. We also can prepare ourselves for our meeting with God: the right time, the right place, the right intention and the right will to listen and to serve.
“Open our hearts, O Lord, to listen to the words of your Son.” (Gospel Acclamation)
“When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went to meet him.” (JN 11: 20)
Martha was always listening to Our Lord, always ready to go wherever Jesus was. She was more practical than her sister, but it doesn’t mean she was less loving to Him. It doesn’t matter which way we are using to go to Jesus—contemplation or action, as long as He is the center of our lives.
“I am the light of the world, says the Lord; whoever follows me will have the light of life.” (Gospel Acclamation)
“The tent, which was called the meeting tent, Moses used to pitch at some distance away, outside the camp. Anyone who wished to consult the LORD would go to this meeting tent outside the camp.” (EX 33: 7)
“Anyone who wished to consult the Lord would go to this meeting tent outside the camp.” It is important to go “outside the camp,” to speak outside my position or my situation. I am not looking for a solution which is good for me in my particular situation; I am looking for a solution which is God’s will. “Some distance away” is my local church, or maybe our home’s “meeting tent” is in our bedroom or in our living room. When we “go to this meeting tent,” we declare that we are ready to go with Our Lord and to Our Lord, who is the way.
“The seed is the word of God, Christ is the sower; all who come to him will live for ever.” (Gospel Acclamation)
“The Kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed with three measures of wheat flour until the whole batch was leavened.” (MK 13: 33)
It is so difficult to speak about something which is completely spiritual in our language. This is the reason why Our Lord decided to speak in parables: “I will open my mouth in parables, I will announce what has lain hidden from the foundation of the world.” Three measures were enough to feed 100 hundred people. This enormous amount points to the greatness of the Kingdom. It reminds us that the fruits come from God and from us—our agreement to work with God.
“The Father willed to give us birth by the word of truth that we may be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.” (Gospel Acclamation)
