August 12, 2009
Wednesday of the Nineteenth Week in Ordinary Time
Since then no prophet has arisen in Israel like Moses, whom the LORD knew face to face. He had no equal in all the signs and wonders the LORD sent him to perform in the land of Egypt against Pharaoh and all his servants and against all his land, and for the might and the terrifying power that Moses exhibited in the sight of all Israel. Deuteronomy 34:10-12
Again, (amen,) I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything for which they are to pray, it shall be granted to them by my heavenly Father. For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them. Matthew 18:19-20
Piety
Father, unlike your son Jesus, your servant Moses dies a peaceful death in your presence. Grant that we may imitate his humility, obedience, and servant leadership to you and your people. Through prayer, help us to build a community and church that invites you to dwell in our midst until we are reunited with you in your house. Amen.
Study
The disciples and Moses share a unique bond. Moses knew the Lord face to face. So did the disciples. Now, in today’s Gospel, we learn that we can share in this kind of close relationship to God.
The key to this relationship is community. While the Church teaches how each individual is to behave, we also learn that we can share in the kind of relationship Moses had by gathering in community for prayer. Through prayer, we can learn to share in the intimate connection between the “church” (small c) and the hope and promise of the coming kingdom of heaven. Matthew points out that in order for us to share in this kind of intimate relationship with the Lord, we have to first have our relationship with each other in order. Then, when we gather in an authentic loving prayer, whatever we ask of the Father in that love will be granted.
This is no magic panacea for earthly happiness. In humility and obedience, Moses followed the Lord his whole life. When they finally had almost reached the Promised Land, Moses was granted the ability to gaze upon that land but never to set foot on it.
The LORD then said to him, "This is the land which I swore to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob that I would give to their descendants. I have let you feast your eyes upon it, but you shall not cross over." So there, in the land of Moab, Moses, the servant of the LORD, died as the LORD had said. Deuteronomy 34:4-5
How unfair! After all Moses did to serve the Lord and to lead his people to safety, how unfair was that treatment. Moses would never got to enjoy any time in their final destination.
However, he shared in a better reward. He was able to take his personal, face-to-face relationship with Jesus to another level. With his death, Moses got to share in an even better final destination -- the prize of heaven. As Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary points out, “Sometimes God reserves the brightest discoveries of his grace to his people to support their dying moments. Those may leave this world with cheerfulness, who die in the faith of Christ, and in the hope of heaven.”
Action
Health care is a basic right for all, from conception to natural death, according to the social teachings of the Catholic Church. Please act now to let your leaders know that reform must not be vehicle for ‘abortion rights’ agenda. Contact your member of Congress and tell them to follow President Obama’s pledge to preserve conscience rights.
Last week, Cardinal Justin Rigali, Chairman of the U.S. Catholic bishops’ Committee on Pro-Life Activities, wrote to the members of the House Energy and Commerce Committee urging them to amend “America’s Affordable Health Choices Act” (H.R. 3200) to retain longstanding government policies on abortion and conscience rights.
Cardinal Rigali reiterated criteria for “genuine health care reform” set forth by Bishop William Murphy, Chairman of the bishops’ Committee on Domestic Policy, in his letter to Congress on July 17. He described health care as “a basic right belonging to all human beings, from conception to natural death” and said that “the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops is working to ensure that needed health reform is not undermined by abandoning longstanding and widely supported policies against abortion funding and mandates and in favor of conscience protection.”
"Much-needed reform must not become a vehicle for promoting an ‘abortion rights’ agenda or reversing longstanding current policies against federal abortion mandates and funding,” he wrote. “In this sense we urge you to make this legislation ‘abortion neutral’ by preserving longstanding federal policies that prevent government promotion of abortion and respect conscience rights.”
“Several federal laws have long protected the conscience rights of health care providers,” Cardinal Rigali added. “President Obama recently stated that he accepts these current laws and will do nothing to weaken them. Congress should make the same pledge, by ensuring that this legislation will maintain protection for conscience rights.”
