Just a Basket Among the Reeds

~~~ Our Lady of Mount Carmel ~~~

 

~~~ Exodus 2:1-15a ~~~ Psalm 69 ~~~ Matthew 11:20-24 ~~~

 

Carmel is a place where Elijah lived in service to the Lord.

This feast of Our Lady was instituted for the Carmelites in the fourteenth century.

It honors the day in 1251 when the Blessed Mother gave the brown scapular to Saint Simon Stock.

This brown scapular symbolizes our relationship with the Blessed Mother of Carmel

entrusting ourselves into her protection.

 

I have a special affection for Our Lady of Mount Carmel

since that was the name of my parish

and where I went to school growing up.

 

 

Today's reading from Exodus is the beautiful story of the baby Moses.

It is a story of the far reaching providential care of God.

It is a story of sacrifice on behalf of a mother who loved her son.

She was willing to give him up in order to save his life.

It is a story of sibling love...Miriam protects her little brother.

It is a beautiful story of adoption.

The Pharaoh's daughter took in this male baby knowing

he was of Hebrew parents. 

This is a story of creativity...Moses was carefully placed in a basket

among the reeds where the young princess would come to bathe.

 

It is a story of love...

 

It is hard to picture Moses as a baby

 because we usually see him portrayed as the old man

 receiving the stone tablets from God.

God had plans for Moses from the moment he was born.

In spite of the fact that he was male and should have been killed

 like so many others his age,

God protects him.

 

This is a story of bravery...it took much courage for

the sister of Moses to approach the daughter.

She risked her own life to save her brother's life.

Her actions were also able to bring much happiness to their mother.

Miriam offers to recruit a 'nursing mother' to care for the baby.

 

This is a story of how a helpless infant floating in a basket

affected a young princess who was the 'enemy'.

 

Noticing the basket among the reeds, she sent her handmaid to fetch it.
On opening it, she looked, and lo, there was a baby boy, crying!
She was moved with pity for him and said,
“It is one of the Hebrews’ children.”

 

Moses, as we know, becomes one of the key figures of the Old Testament.

He is the leader of the people out of the desert.

Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt...he gave them manna from heaven...

he provided water from the rock...and so much more.

Moses cooperated with God in good times and in discouraging times.

 

Working for God is no guarantee for an easy life.

Just look at the life of Moses. 

Moses lived a long life; God had lots for him to accomplish.

Tomorrow we hear more of the incredible story of Moses.

 

Blessings today...

the next time you look at an infant remember that God does indeed

have plans for this one little life.

Jesus Bridges the Old and the New

~~~ Holy Thursday ~~~

 

~~Exodus 12:1-8, 11-14~~Psalm 116~~1 Corinthians 11:23-26~~John 13:1-15~~

 

Before the feast of Passover, Jesus knew that his hour had come
to pass from this world to the Father.
He loved his own in the world and he loved them to the end.

 

Jesus carefully begins his passion with the traditional Passover meal.

He had undoubtedly participated in this important

historical meal previously many times.

The feast of the Passover was to remember the saving from the Angel of Death.

 

The story of Passover is told in the Book of Exodus.

Moses is saved as an infant to later become the one chosen by God to lead

his people to freedom.

Pharaoh becoming increasingly threatened by the Hebrews

decreed that the first born males would be killed.

Only the females were to be allowed to live.

At the old age of 80, Moses boldly demands

 that Pharaoh release his people.

 

The ten great plagues descended upon the land

ending with the death of all the male children in the land.

The homes of the Hebrews were saved as a result

of their following the command of God.

They marked their doorways with the blood of a pure lamb;

thus their sons are spared. 

 

They shall take some of its blood
and apply it to the two doorposts and the lintel
of every house in which they partake of the lamb.

 

The people quickly prepared the lamb ready to flee in a moments notice.

They had no time to allow yeast bread to rise.

To this day unleavened bread is an important part of Passover.

 

 

Jesus begins his Passion on this feast day.

It is fitting since he alone will be sacrificed

 to bring all of us out of bondage.

Jesus is the bridge between the old with the new.

He fulfills the covenant issued by his Father.

He does not forsake the people of God.

Just as he continues to save us today.

 

Jesus is always the one who connects the old and the new.

The word became flesh to fulfill the will of the Father...

to make all things complete.

 

On this night of Passover Jesus rises, humbles himself,

and washes the feet of his apostles.

He does not discriminate among the faithful, the one who betrays

or the one who will deny knowing him three times.

 

After kneeling down and washing their feet,

he tries one more time to help them understand who he is

and why he really came.

 

“Do you realize what I have done for you?
You call me ‘teacher’ and ‘master,’ and rightly so, for indeed I am.
If I, therefore, the master and teacher, have washed your feet,
you ought to wash one another’s feet.
I have given you a model to follow,
so that as I have done for you, you should also do.”

 

How we treat others speaks so much more than our words ever can.

We may not be washing the feet of those we meet,

but we can treat them with loving care and dignity.

 

Lord, help me to strive daily to be more like you.

Begin first by transforming my heart.

Is God Present to You?

2 Samuel 12b-15, 17-19

We continue to be steeped in the Books of Samuel. There is much here we can harvest for reflection. When I first read today's reading I was not sure what I would write about. As I sat with this reading a while longer I was struck by some parallels to Palm Sunday. Yes I see a connection between the celebration in the City of David as he enters with the Ark of the Covenant and the entry of Jesus into the city on Palm Sunday. Both are surrounded with joyous celebration.

The Ark of the Covenant was only a container, but it held within things important and meaningful for the people of David. The Ark was carried by several servants high up on their shoulders. As they traveled all knew and could see that the Ark was with them. It was an outward sign of the presence of God. If God was with them they had a certain sense of confidence. 

There are many other references to the Ark in the Old Testament. God instructed Moses to build the Ark. The book of Exodus is filled with all the details about building the Ark, the dimensions as well as the materials to be used.(Ex. 25) This was a special structure that was to be with them as they went on their journeys. This gold laden box was believed to have powers so strong that they even carried it with them into battle. This Ark allowed them to have safe passage across the Jordan River.

Throughout the Bible the Ark has been reverenced, stolen, fought over, and ultimately lost. It's mysterious whereabouts has been part of myths and legends ever since. Remember the Indiana Jones movie? I am sure you do. Today people are still searching for the Ark.

The point is...the Ark was very important!

Three important things resided in the Ark:

1. The 10 commandment tablets given to Moses (laws), Exodus 25: 21-22
2. The reserved manna given to them by God (food)Exodus 16: 32-33
3. The budding rod of Aaron marking him as priestly.(symbol) Numbers 17: 16-26 

The Ark was always placed in the center of the camp where the glory cloud could be easily seen hovering above the mercy seat.

This is really fascinating, but back to the parallel with Palm Sunday. Right before the Passion we have this glorious entrance of Jesus into the city. There is singing and dancing. Everyone is celebrating; the holy one, the teacher, the healer is entering. Jesus is the ultimate container.

He holds within his person the salvation for all of humanity. He is carried upon a lowly humble donkey; unlike the golden Ark. He gives us his very own body and blood for the nourishment not of our bodies, but of our souls. He is the food for the journey leading us into eternity. Jesus comes not to abolish the old law, (Matt 5:17)  but to fulfill the new law. He gives us the greatest commandment... Love. Jesus is more than the bud on the rod of Aaron. Jesus dies and then rises from the dead. Jesus is the essence of Life itself.

While people still search for Jesus today.

We believe he is with us until the end of time.

(Matthew 28:20)

Original image: the 'Eye of God' taken through the Hubble telescope.

I chose this Kaleidoscope image because the presence of God in my life is sometimes bold andbrilliant; as well as hidden and obscure at times.

But he is always present.