The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today invite meditation on the role of judgement in our faith journey.
Exercise judgement
The reading from the Book of Exodus describes the birth and youth of Moses and the judgement that causes him to flee to Midian.
* [2:10] When the child grew: while v. 9 implies that the boy’s mother cared for him as long as he needed to be nursed (presumably, between two and four years), the same verb appears in v. 11 to describe the attainment of adulthood. And he became her son: Pharaoh’s daughter adopts Moses, thus adding to the irony of the account. The king of Egypt had ordered the killing of all the sons of the Hebrews, and one now becomes the son of his own daughter! Moses: in Hebrew, mosheh. There is a play on words here: Hebrew mosheh echoes meshithihu (“I drew him out”). However, the name Moses actually has nothing to do with that Hebrew verb, but is probably derived from Egyptian “beloved” or “has been born,” preserved in such Pharaonic names as Thutmoses (meaning approximately “Beloved of the god Thoth” or “The god Thoth is born, has given birth to [the child]”). The original meaning of Moses’ name was no longer remembered (if it was Egyptian, it may have contained an Egyptian divine element as well, perhaps the name of the Nile god Hapi), and a secondary explanation was derived from this story (or gave rise to it, if the drawing from the water of the Nile was intended to foreshadow the Israelites’ escape from Egypt through the Red Sea).1
Psalm 69 is a prayer for deliverance from persecution.
* [Psalm 69] A lament complaining of suffering in language both metaphorical (Ps 69:2–3, 15–16, the waters of chaos) and literal (Ps 69:4, 5, 9, 11–13, exhaustion, alienation from family and community, false accusation). In the second part the psalmist prays with special emphasis that the enemies be punished for all to see (Ps 69:23–29). Despite the pain, the psalmist does not lose hope that all be set right, and promises public praise (Ps 69:30–36). The Psalm, which depicts the suffering of the innocent just person vividly, is cited often by the New Testament especially in the passion accounts, e.g., Ps 69:5 in Jn 15:25; Ps 69:22 in Mk 15:23, 36 and parallels and in Jn 19:29. The Psalm prays not so much for personal vengeance as for public vindication of God’s justice. There was, at this time, no belief in an afterlife where such vindication could take place. Redress had to take place now, in the sight of all.2
In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus expresses woes to unrepentant cities.
* [11:21] Tyre and Sidon were pagan cities denounced for their wickedness in the Old Testament; cf. Jl 4:4–7. * [11:23] Capernaum’s pride and punishment are described in language taken from the taunt song against the king of Babylon (Is 14:13–15).3
Larry Gillick, S.J comments that Jesus has been inviting His listeners to “repent” and some did, but not these towns to which He was visiting. The words “pendant, pennant, pendulum, depend, suspend, compendium and impending” all are hinged to the root, “Hang.”
There is nothing nor anyone to which or to whom we can hang on to as our absolute, or ultimate reality. I look around my room, my address book, phone list and memory-bank. There are so many persons, places and things to which I am attached. Sweaters, pictures, figurines, knickknacks containing charged memories. I hang on to the hands of those who lovingly gave them to me and some of those I find prayerfully difficult to un-depend. We pray for the graceful freedom to let go of our “hang-ups” to be freer to receive the new “Mighty deeds” which of course, we fear will not be offered. Relax, rejoice and re-God!4
Don Schwager quotes “Even after miracles they did not repent,” by Saint Jerome (347-420 AD).
"Our Savior laments Chorazin and Bethsaida, cities of Galilee, because after such great miracles and acts of goodness they did not repent. Even Tyre and Sidon, cities that surrendered to idolatry and other vices, are preferred to them. Tyre and Sidon are preferred for the reason that although they trampled down the law, still Chorazin and Bethsaida, after they transgressed natural and written law, cared little for the miracles that were performed among them." (excerpt from COMMENTARY ON MATTHEW 2.11.22.1)5
The Word Among Us Meditation on Exodus 2:1-15 comments that the Bible is quite clear-eyed about Moses’ weaknesses as well as his strengths. We read how he faced down Pharaoh and led the Hebrews out of slavery in Egypt, but we also read about how many excuses he used to try to get out of his calling (Exodus 3:11–4:17). We read how he received the Ten Commandments from God, but we also read how he flew into a rage when he saw the people committing idolatry (32:15-28).
For the next month, we’re going to be reading about Moses and his heroic exploits. As you read, be sure to remember where he came from and some of the ways he fell short of his calling. Remember that Moses was just like you—an imperfect person who cooperated with God’s grace—and that means you can become just like him—a servant who helps build the kingdom here on earth. “Lord, teach me to welcome your grace so that I can do great things for you just as Moses did.”6
Friar Jude Winkler connects the story of Moses to Noah’s ark and Egyptian names from ancient history. We can experience trying to do good that is not accepted by those to whom the action was directed. Friar Jude points to the contrast in Matthew’s Gospel between the rejection of some Jewish people and the pagans who search out Jesus.
Cynthia Bourgeault describes how chanting is one of the most traditional methods of contemplation. While some traditions repeat a single word or sound, Benedictine and Gregorian chant within the Christian tradition draw their inspiration from the Psalms.
Perhaps no community has done more to reclaim the sacred Christian practice of chanting than Taizé, the small ecumenical community in France founded in the late 1940s. They remind us that “through [the songs], little by little, our being finds an inner unity in God. They can continue in the silence of our hearts when we are at work, speaking with others or resting. In this way prayer and daily life are united. They allow us to keep on praying even when we are unaware of it, in the silence of our hearts.” [1]7
Our contemplation of judgement may open our minds to the direction of the Spirit about the place it has in our mission.
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