July 16, 2011
Saturday of the Fifteenth Week in Ordinary Time
Since the dough they had brought out of Egypt was not leavened, they baked it into unleavened loaves. They had been rushed out of Egypt and had no opportunity even to prepare food for the journey. Exodus 12:39
When Jesus realized this, he withdrew from that place. Many (people) followed him, and he cured them all, but he warned them not to make him known. Matthew 12:15-16
Piety
Father, invite us always to walk with you. Jesus, take from us any hesitation we have for the journey. Holy Spirit, help us to properly prepare and then sustain us on this journey together so we may follow the Lord. Amen.
Study
In today's readings, we encounter both Jesus and the Israelites in motion. Moses is leading the Israelites to safety out of Egypt and Jesus is fleeing in secrecy to preserve his safety until the hour comes for his Passion.
The Jews had no time to plan for their flight from Egypt. They did not even bring any unleavened bread. Instead, they had to plan on the run and bake their existing dough into unleavened loaves. Jesus on the other hand was preparing constantly -- from the time his parents found him in the temple as a young boy, he was teaching, preaching and healing those who would come to him.
As Jesus set out, many people followed him. I imagine they were as unprepared for the journey of following Jesus as Moses and his people were when they left Egypt. I imagine they were as unprepared for the journey as we are every day when we turn the keys.
Action
We, too, are a people in motion. Daily we head out to our jobs, our classes, our errands, our social visits, and more. How do we prepare for the journey? Sometimes, it seems it is easy to jump into the car, turn the key and off we go. Yet as the price of gas climbs, maybe we are beginning to have second thoughts about how we plan for these trips.
Often we equate preparation with certain liturgical seasons. Advent is our time to prepare for Christmas. Lent is our time to prepare for Easter. However, our journey does not just happen between midnight Masses. Our journey is as constant and unpredictable as the journey Moses lead through the desert. If our journey is constant, then we must always be in preparation for the next steps.
