Reading 1
Ex 14:21-15:1
Moses stretched out his hand over the sea,
and the LORD swept the sea
with a strong east wind throughout the night
and so turned it into dry land.
When the water was thus divided,
the children of Israel marched into the midst of the sea on dry land,
with the water like a wall to their right and to their left.
The Egyptians followed in pursuit;
all Pharaoh’s horses and chariots and charioteers went after them
right into the midst of the sea.
In the night watch just before dawn
the LORD cast through the column of the fiery cloud
upon the Egyptian force a glance that threw it into a panic;
and he so clogged their chariot wheels
that they could hardly drive.
With that the Egyptians sounded the retreat before Israel,
because the LORD was fighting for them against the Egyptians.
Then the LORD told Moses, “Stretch out your hand over the sea,
that the water may flow back upon the Egyptians,
upon their chariots and their charioteers.”
So Moses stretched out his hand over the sea,
and at dawn the sea flowed back to its normal depth.
The Egyptians were fleeing head on toward the sea,
when the LORD hurled them into its midst.
As the water flowed back,
it covered the chariots and the charioteers of Pharaoh’s whole army
that had followed the children of Israel into the sea.
Not a single one of them escaped.
But the children of Israel had marched on dry land
through the midst of the sea,
with the water like a wall to their right and to their left.
Thus the LORD saved Israel on that day
from the power of the Egyptians.
When Israel saw the Egyptians lying dead on the seashore
and beheld the great power that the LORD
had shown against the Egyptians,
they feared the LORD and believed in him and in his servant Moses.
Then Moses and the children of Israel sang this song to the LORD:
I will sing to the LORD, for he is gloriously triumphant;
horse and chariot he has cast into the sea.
Exodus 15:8-9, 10 and 12, 17
Responsorial Psalm R. (1b)
Let us sing to the Lord; he has covered himself in glory.
At the breath of your anger the waters piled up,
the flowing waters stood like a mound,
the flood waters congealed in the midst of the sea.
The enemy boasted, “I will pursue and overtake them;
I will divide the spoils and have my fill of them;
I will draw my sword; my hand shall despoil them!”
R. Let us sing to the Lord; he has covered himself in glory.
When your wind blew, the sea covered them;
like lead they sank in the mighty waters.
When you stretched out your right hand, the earth swallowed them!
R. Let us sing to the Lord; he has covered himself in glory.
And you brought them in and planted them on the mountain of your inheritance—
the place where you made your seat, O LORD,
the sanctuary, O LORD, which your hands established.
R. Let us sing to the Lord; he has covered himself in glory.
Gospel
Mt 12:46-50
While Jesus was speaking to the crowds,
his mother and his brothers appeared outside,
wishing to speak with him.
Someone told him, “Your mother and your brothers are standing outside,
asking to speak with you.”
But he said in reply to the one who told him,
“Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?”
And stretching out his hand toward his disciples, he said,
“Here are my mother and my brothers.
For whoever does the will of my heavenly Father
is my brother, and sister, and mother.”
Meditation: Exodus 14:21–15:1
“Then Moses and the Israelites sang… “(Exodus 15:1)
Picture yourself with front-row seats at the final game of the World Cup. People are cheering as the underdog team scores the winning goal. The whole stadium erupts, and you can’t contain yourself. Suddenly you are shouting, clapping, giving high-fives to strangers, and waving your banner wildly.
This must have been how the people of Israel felt when they saw the Egyptian army being swallowed up by the sea. The chase was over, and they were now free. They couldn’t help but break into celebration!
This is the kind of excitement that Jesus wants to give us every time we recall the salvation he won for us. He wants us to celebrate our freedom from slavery and the promise of eternal life with him. He wants us to clap our hands and shout praises to him because he has defeated the devil and set us free from sin. He wants us to sing and dance because he has rescued us from death.
If you want some idea of what this kind of worship looks like, read chapters four and five of the Book of Revelation. There, we see how all of heaven is filled with singing and rejoicing, with loud acclamations and shouts of praise to God the Father and to Jesus, his Son.
Does your prayer time look like this? If not, it should. Our God is faithful, powerful, loving, and merciful. We have so much to rejoice over, so much to celebrate. We have challenges and problems, too. But nothing is too big for Jesus. Nothing is beyond his ability to intervene. Nothing is so menacing that it can overshadow God’s goodness and presence.
So try devoting your prayer today to rejoicing and celebrating. Go ahead and speak words of praise and thanksgiving to the Lord. Sing and clap your hands. You may even want to shout for joy or dance like King David! Even if you don’t feel like singing, even if you feel a little silly, try it anyway! Take a few moments to recall all the wondrous things God has done in your life. Think about the ways he has protected you, healed you, or shown you his love, and you’ll find reason enough to open your mouth, raise your hands, and shout praises.
“Jesus, you are Lord and Savior. I rejoice in your love and your provision!”
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