Reading 1
Dt 4:32-40
Moses said to the people:
“Ask now of the days of old, before your time,
ever since God created man upon the earth;
ask from one end of the sky to the other:
Did anything so great ever happen before?
Was it ever heard of?
Did a people ever hear the voice of God
speaking from the midst of fire, as you did, and live?
Or did any god venture to go and take a nation for himself
from the midst of another nation,
by testings, by signs and wonders, by war,
with his strong hand and outstretched arm, and by great terrors,
all of which the LORD, your God,
did for you in Egypt before your very eyes?
All this you were allowed to see
that you might know the LORD is God and there is no other.
Out of the heavens he let you hear his voice to discipline you;
on earth he let you see his great fire,
and you heard him speaking out of the fire.
For love of your fathers he chose their descendants
and personally led you out of Egypt by his great power,
driving out of your way nations greater and mightier than you,
so as to bring you in
and to make their land your heritage, as it is today.
This is why you must now know, and fix in your heart,
that the LORD is God in the heavens above and on earth below,
and that there is no other.
You must keep his statutes and commandments which I enjoin on you today,
that you and your children after you may prosper,
and that you may have long life on the land
which the LORD, your God, is giving you forever.”
77:12-13, 14-15, 16 and 21
Responsorial PsalmR. (12a)
I remember the deeds of the Lord.
I remember the deeds of the LORD;
yes, I remember your wonders of old.
And I meditate on your works;
your exploits I ponder.
R. I remember the deeds of the Lord.
O God, your way is holy;
what great god is there like our God?
You are the God who works wonders;
among the peoples you have made known your power.
R. I remember the deeds of the Lord.
With your strong arm you redeemed your people,
the sons of Jacob and Joseph.
You led your people like a flock
under the care of Moses and Aaron.
R. I remember the deeds of the Lord.
Gospel
Mt 16:24-28
Jesus said to his disciples,
“Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself,
take up his cross, and follow me.
For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it,
but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.
What profit would there be for one to gain the whole world
and forfeit his life?
Or what can one give in exchange for his life?
For the Son of Man will come with his angels in his Father’s glory,
and then he will repay each according to his conduct.
Amen, I say to you, there are some standing here
who will not taste death
until they see the Son of Man coming in his Kingdom.”
Meditation: Deuteronomy 4:32-40
“Did anything so great ever happen before?” (Deuteronomy 4:32)
With this little history lesson, Moses sought to impress upon the people how amazing it was that God had worked such miracles in their history. Never before did any people receive the immense blessings that God had given to them. He took them as his own from the midst of another nation, Egypt. He worked signs and wonders in the face of their oppressor, Pharaoh. He spoke to them on Mount Sinai. He led them through the dangers of the desert. And he gave them insight into his mind by revealing his law to them. Over and over again, God proved how utterly committed he was to them.
So it only makes sense that Moses would exhort them to live as a people set apart by the Lord! You can just hear him telling them: “Become what you are!”
Maybe we could use a history lesson of our own. God has done amazing things for us individually and as part of his church! Each of us can make the audacious claim that the Lord of the universe dwells inside of us. He has adopted us as his own children. He gives us his body and blood for nourishment. He has promised to be with us always, even to the end of the world. What other people can claim this?
These are just the blessings God has given us corporately as his people. What about you as an individual? Take some time today to reflect on the ways God has set you apart. What makes you special? Make a list of the many blessings he has given you. Write down the times when you felt his intervention in your life. Maybe there was a time when you met his mercy in a powerful way after confession. Maybe he healed you of an illness or brought you through a particularly tough time. Maybe you heard him speaking to your heart at Mass.
Each of these experiences shows how important you are to the Lord. So the question arises: Am I living as a child of God?
“Father, I rejoice in you! You have set me apart as a member of your people. Let the truth of your calling sink deeply into my heart so that I will live as a child of the light.”
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