Reading I
Dt 4:1, 5-9
Moses spoke to the people and said:
“Now, Israel, hear the statutes and decrees
which I am teaching you to observe,
that you may live, and may enter in and take possession of the land
which the LORD, the God of your fathers, is giving you.
Therefore, I teach you the statutes and decrees
as the LORD, my God, has commanded me,
that you may observe them in the land you are entering to occupy.
Observe them carefully,
for thus will you give evidence
of your wisdom and intelligence to the nations,
who will hear of all these statutes and say,
‘This great nation is truly a wise and intelligent people.’
For what great nation is there
that has gods so close to it as the LORD, our God, is to us
whenever we call upon him?
Or what great nation has statutes and decrees
that are as just as this whole law
which I am setting before you today?
“However, take care and be earnestly on your guard
not to forget the things which your own eyes have seen,
nor let them slip from your memory as long as you live,
but teach them to your children and to your children’s children.”
Gospel
Mt 5:17-19
Jesus said to his disciples:
“Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets.
I have come not to abolish but to fulfill.
Amen, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away,
not the smallest letter or the smallest part of a letter
will pass from the law,
until all things have taken place.
Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments
and teaches others to do so
will be called least in the Kingdom of heaven.
But whoever obeys and teaches these commandments
will be called greatest in the Kingdom of heaven.”
Meditation: Deuteronomy 4:1,5-9
Moses recounted all that God had done for his people: He led them out of Egypt and made a covenant with them.
He gave them his Ten Commandments and promised to be with them forever. Now they were getting ready to cross the Jordan River and enter the land he had set apart for them. So Moses reminded them how important it was that they not forget the great works of the Lord in their past. He warned them not to let these things “slip from your memory as long as you live, but teach them to your children and to your children’s children” (Deuteronomy 4:9).
Isn’t it amazing how easy it can be to forget, in the day-to-day grind, all that God has done for us? That’s why it’s helpful to step back from time to time and review both our personal history and the sweep of salvation history.
Why not start today? Pick up a pen and list some of your favorite stories from the Bible. For each story, try to identify how God was at work saving his people and preparing them for Jesus. Look for common patterns—elements that tell you about God’s goodness, his mercy, and his power to save.
Don’t stop there. After taking this panoramic view, fix your attention on your own life. Make a list of the times when you knew without a doubt that God was working. It may be a time when you didn’t know which path you should take, but then suddenly it all made sense. It may be a time when you felt God help you address a wounded relationship. It may be a time of prayer or at Mass when you felt especially close to the Lord.
If you set these blessings firm in your memory, you will be able to draw on them in times of challenge. When you find yourself questioning God’s love, you can recall them to help you dispel the doubt. When you are burdened by a trial, you can still know that God is with you, guiding you by his unseen hand. Never let his blessings “slip from your memory”!
“Jesus, what a gift to be with you at Mass each week! Burn into my memory the great things you have done, and are doing, in my life. May I never forget them.”
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