July 21, 2011
Thursday of the Sixteenth Week in Ordinary Time
When the LORD came down to the top of Mount Sinai, he summoned Moses to the top of the mountain, and Moses went up to him. Exodus 19:20
"But blessed are your eyes, because they see, and your ears, because they hear. Amen, I say to you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it." Matthew 13:16-17
Piety
Father, excuse us for our grumbling. Hear our prayers despite the static that we transmit with these complaints. Brother Jesus, allow us to continually approach you with our questions, comments and concerns because we know you will hear and understand us. Holy Spirit, give us the strength to rise above our human and physical problems to allow you to work wonders in our lives.
Study
We have such an approachable God who goes to great lengths to meet us where we are. To deepen our relationship with the Lord, we must try to relish the present moment and recognize the presence of God in that experience.
In our first reading from the Hebrew Bible, we see the Lord come to meet us where we are. As the Israelites grumbled their way through the desert, the Lord knew that their faith was weak and would be shaken even more. Therefore, God came down and spoke to Moses. This move was intended to bring the people closer to the Lord and to help bolster the leadership exerted by Moses.
The easy approachability of the Lord continued in the Good News reading from Matthew. When the disciples asked about why the Lord taught in parables, they got a clear explanation grounded in the readings from Isaiah that they knew so well.
Action
We do not need to be at the base of a mountain or have our heads in a cloud to experience this divine presence.
Why will the Lord come to meet you today? About what (or whom) are you grumbling? Are your frustrated with people in your family? Are you impatient with your political leaders? Has the hierarchy of the church let you down? Or are frustrated personally by your own physical health issues or the illness of someone you love?
Whatever the cause of your grumbling and groaning, know that the Lord hears you and will meet you on your own turf.
When you clear the obstacles and sense the presence of the Lord in your life, what do question do you have to pose when you approach him?
