Reading 1
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.”
Ps 147:12-13, 15-16, 19-20
Responsorial PsalmR. (12a)
Praise the Lord, Jerusalem.
Glorify the LORD, O Jerusalem;
praise your God, O Zion.
For he has strengthened the bars of your gates;
he has blessed your children within you.
R. Praise the Lord, Jerusalem.
He sends forth his command to the earth;
swiftly runs his word!
He spreads snow like wool;
frost he strews like ashes.
R. Praise the Lord, Jerusalem.
He has proclaimed his word to Jacob,
his statutes and his ordinances to Israel.
He has not done thus for any other nation;
his ordinances he has not made known to them.
R. Praise the Lord, Jerusalem.
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
“Do not let these things slip from your memory.” (Deuteronomy 4:9)
Don’t forget! Moses urged the Israelites as he stood on the threshold of the Promised Land. Don’t forget how you got here. God led you. He delivered you from slavery. And he sustained you in the desert. Remember these things as you go into this land of blessing, so that you can teach your children and grandchildren about the Lord.
Moses remembered. Joshua remembered. King David and Isaiah and Ezekiel and so many others remembered. How about you? Can you sit down and think about a few occasions when you had a strong sense of the presence of God or when you knew he was working powerfully in your life? Try to recall five situations like that. Maybe it was an answer to a desperate prayer. Maybe it was the birth of a child. Or maybe just a time when you felt loved by God and very close to him. Go ahead, take a minute or two to reflect.
Okay. Now that you’ve recalled a few instances like this, check yourself: Has your faith received a boost? Do you feel more confident or more peaceful? This is what God wants for all of us. He wants us to keep the memories of his past works fresh in our minds so that we can build a strong foundation of faith for our future.
In fact, these “landmark” occasions are just as vital to our faith as the doctrinal truths that we can find in our Bibles and catechisms. They show us that God is active in our lives. They show us that he delivers us from evil&mash;probably more often than we realize. They prove to us that he loves to bless us and give us his grace.
So try to incorporate these personal stories into the foundation of your faith, along with the truths and the Bible stories. Write them down in a journal, and keep the journal somewhere visible in your home or at work. Holding on to these events will help give you a better sense of God’s direction for your life. It will help you say “yes” to God and “no” to temptation. And even more important, it will spur you to look for God’s hand today and tomorrow and the next day.
“Lord, you are my Rock, the foundation of my life.”
No comments:
Post a Comment