Wednesday of the Tenth Week in Ordinary Time
Jesus told His followers that He didn’t come to abolish the Law but to fulfill it. He said with certainty that not even “the smallest letter of the law” would pass away. Jesus knew what the Law was for. It wasn’t just a set of rules and standards.
The Jews left Egypt in the Exodus by God’s definitive act of deliverance. The Lord, Adonai, had saved His people. He then led Moses and all the people of Israel to Mt. Sinai and formed a Covenant with them. In last Sunday’s first reading, Exodus 24, Moses asked the people if they would follow the Lord’s law and fulfill the Covenant made between them and God. The people answered that they would. Then they had their own law. This was important for the Jewish people because living under God’s law gave them their own nation. It wasn’t just about the literal law itself. The Torah gave the Jewish people their identity.
It is the same for us. We accept the teachings and laws of the Catholic Church which find their foundation in the Old and New Testament. We take part in our Faith, not by any merit of anything we have done, as Second Corinthians states, but “our qualification comes from God.” We take part not in things “that will fade” but in that which “endures” and is “glorious.” We are privileged to take part in God’s deliverance, which started with the original Covenant, and continues today in Christ’s Church.
Reflection: Instead of a religious reflection, I want to ask our readers to pray a prayer for our Jewish brothers and sisters in mutual solidarity. There has been an increase in anti-Semitism in recent weeks and hateful acts towards our Jewish siblings. No act of hate is ever tolerable on any level in Christianity, and we offer our sorrow and support to Jews in America and around the World.
Reflection by Br. Matthew Marie, OSB
Posted in Articles for Ordinary Time, Daily Reflections