Daily Reflection for Monday, August 17, 2020
Peace and Blessings, Friends and Parishioners,
We encourage you to reflect on Monday’s readings at this link:
https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/081720.cfm
If you prefer to use your own Bible, the readings are:
First Reading: Ezekiel 24:15-23
Responsorial Psalm: Deuteronomy 32:18-21
Gospel: Matthew 19:16-22
Our reflection on Monday’s reading:
“You were unmindful of the Rock that begot you. You forgot the God who gave you birth. Deuteronomy 32:18
When I was growing up, it was scripture like today’s readings that gave me this “grumpy grandpa” image of God full of conditional rules and vengeance. I recognize that the writers are trying to personify a supreme being using the human traits that they have observed for years. Deuteronomy expresses that God is “doing” all of these things to his people. However, it is far more likely that it is the people who are “doing” all of these things to themselves! It is just easier to label their fortunes or misfortunes as God’s grace or curse. They have forgotten the God who gave them birth.
I would like to say that today I know better, but do I? How would I write the history of our nation and my fellow citizens? What excuses would I make for our worst moments and to whom would I give credit for our best moments? Would that history stand on its merits or would it easily be debunked by other historians? I think that these are important questions that we all should be concerned about especially if we are a people of God or at the very least a people in search of God. Would we as historians “Forget the God who gave us birth?”
Jesus helps us to understand our role in the story of the rich young man. The rich young man seems as though he is following the letter of the law and Jesus asks him simply to sell what he has, give to the poor, and follow him. In other words, Jesus is asking the young man to remember the God who gave him birth.
When your story is written, will it include how the “God who gave you birth” impacted your life and the lives of others?
Have a blessed day,
Paul Gunn