Remember

The path of those who seek God is, of course, woven throughout history. The texts today from the Roman Catholic Lectionary are important statements of faith relationships which are in tension with the events of time which may be historically different than the application of those events in our belief and practice. The psalmist praises aspects of the relationship with God which are timeless and experienced throughout history. The text from the Book of Exodus is the prescription to Moses of the manner of the celebration of the Passover prior to the freeing of the Hebrew people from captivity in Egypt. Friar Jude Winkler explores the history of the Passover as it has been put together by scholars. The faithfulness of Israel is to God and the remembering the freedom resulting from “passing over” which moved a chosen people to bring experience of relationship with God to all peoples. The Gospel of Matthew today is Jesus explanation to the Pharisees that over scrupulous observation of every legalistic point of the “Law” is not the “mercy of God”. It is not even an accurate presentation of Jewish tradition that the Law was always observed to the letter. The final verses of the Gospel today have been often been interpreted to justify conclusions about Jesus which agree with our personal Christology. Friar Jude notes that Jesus may be claiming rabbinic authority of the binding and loosing of the Law or He may be revealing the Divine Authority over all Law. The linking of the “Son of Man” is to Daniel 7 and the SufferingServant of Isaiah. The believer can use these links to present a fuller vision of the nature of Jesus, not restricted to being in time, from a point of view of faith in time and tradition. The questions of faith are often more important than the answers.