The tendency of people to read into events the
interpretation which best suits our own plan and desire comes to mind through
the texts of the Roman Catholic Lectionary today. In the passage from the Book
of Exodus, God confronts Moses with the decision of the Israelites he has left
in the desert to build and worship a representation of a calf made from gold
they have brought out of Egypt. Friar Jude Winkler mentions the Yiddish word
chutzpah to describe the challenging dialog Moses engages in with God. He
comments that Catholic dialog with God rarely takes this form. The conviction
that God provides everything we need should call us to be more persistent and
passionate as we petition Him. Jesus presents three forms of testimony about
His Divinity to the Scribes and Pharisees who seek to destroy Him. He cites the
mission of John the Baptist, the declaration of the Father and the evidence
that the followers of Moses can find in Scripture. As Friar Jude notes, we do
often read and interpret Scripture according to our own exegesis. The Tradition
of the Church is a great resource to bring to our Scriptural interpretation.
Our contemplation of the Divine, inspired by the Spirit and guided by the
history of those who have wrestled with the same questions will produce
conclusions less of our own making and more in accord with the steadfast love
of God.
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