How Will You Believe My Words?

March 6, 2008

Thursday of the Fourth Week of Lent

“I see how stiff-necked this people is,” continued the LORD to Moses. “Let me alone, then, that my wrath may blaze up against them to consume them.” Exodus 32:9-10

But you do not want to come to me to have life. John 5:40

Piety

Jesus, massage our necks so that we may look around and find you. Help us to stop focusing so much on getting ahead in life. Help us to turn away from the mirror of me and instead look for you and your children who need our attention (piety), understanding (study) and love (action). Amen.

Study

http://www.usccb.org/nab/readings/030608.shtml

Will Moses defend us or accuse us?

Jesus knows what is in our hearts. Now, we learn that he also knows what is in our necks…steel. We refuse to budge, refuse to turn away from our wayward path and onto the path that leads to Him.

Everyday, Jesus sees us embrace a culture of cheap thrills, short-cutting our way to success. Along the way, we face temptations and succumb just like generations before have done. Who can fault the Lord if he concludes that we “do not want to come to me to have life.”

We revel in our American Idols – power, violence, greed and lust. We envy the accomplishments of our neighbor rather than helping her to celebrate success. We go through the motions of a religious life like the Pharisees. No wonder the Lord seems to throw up his hands in disgust. He has tried and we have failed. He is ready to start all over like the CEO deciding to lay off the workforce, the teacher deciding to expel the truant, the jury voting to execute the prisoner. Why invest in rehabilitation?

“Why not?” says Moses. God almost betrays his own very nature but something, or someone, causes Him to turn back…even though we refuse to turn away from temptation, God gives in to the advocacy of Moses.

The decision is up to us. Will we act like Dives and ignore the signs all around us, only to find ourselves condemned to eternity without the presence of the Lord in our afterlife?

Or will we finally pay attention to the message of the Lord and the advocates and messengers whom He has sent our way? Otherwise, how will we ever believe in Jesus’ words?

Action

When we focus on ourselves, we lose sight of God and the broader community. Work this fourth week of Lent to regain your sight of God and of the community. Travel to a part of your community that you rarely see and open your eyes to the new world around you. Even though it is strange to you, it is still important in God’s eyes.

Think of all the people throughout your life who spoke up on your behalf. Return the kindness. Will you act like an advocate for the people there? What do they need? How can you speak out on their behalf to effect change? If you can not effect change directly, why not consider supporting organizations empower people to control their own lives?

See how the Catholic Campaign for Human Development is trying to educate people by visiting this site http://www.usccb.org/cchd/povertyusa/index.htm. One of their grants goes to support the groups Tenants and Workers United. They are carrying out this plan in the area of North Alexandria (http://www.tenantsworkers.org/) by acting as advocates for their community. According to an article in the New York Times, “Tenants and Workers United is one of a fast-growing number of centers that are helping the nation's 20 million immigrant workers. In many ways, these centers are doing what labor unions, fraternal organizations and settlement houses did decades ago for newcomers to the United States.”