Daily Reflection for Thursday, March 31, 2022
Peace and Blessings, Friends and Parishioners,
We encourage you to reflect on Thursday’s readings at this link:
http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/033122.cfm
If you prefer to use your own Bible, the readings are:
First Reading: Exodus 32:7-14
Responsorial: Psalm 106:19-23
Gospel: John 5:31-47
Our reflection on Thursday’s readings:
“For if you had believed Moses, you would have believed me, because he wrote about me. But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe my words?” John 5:46-47
When I read these verses, I’ll admit that I didn’t know precisely what Jesus was talking about. I didn’t know of specific instances where Moses wrote about Jesus. Someone guided me to the verse in Deuteronomy which reads:
"A prophet like me will the Lord, your God, raise up for you from your own kinsmen: to him you shall listen" Deuteronomy 18:15
After looking further, I found that although Moses didn’t explicitly mention Jesus, the Old Testament writings contain many things that foreshadowed the coming of the Messiah.
Jesus is the offspring of the woman spoken of in Genesis 3 that would crush the head of Satan. (Genesis 3:15)
The story of Joseph can be seen as foreshadowing the life of Jesus: Him being the beloved Son, being envied by His own, begin rejected by His own, cast down into the pit, resurrected, sent to a distant country where He became lord of all, and who then provided salvation for His own.
Like the manna in the desert, Jesus is the Bread from Heaven (John 6:51) that satisfies our spiritual hunger and gives us life.
Jesus is the Passover Lamb, as those who put their faith in His death and the blood He shed are rescued from the judgment that is to come. (John 3:16-18)
Like the snake in the desert that was lifted up so that those who were bitten by deadly snakes could look upon and be saved, Jesus was lifted up so that we who have been bitten by Satan in our sin can look upon Jesus and be saved from spiritual death. (John 3:14-15)
For those without faith in God, the Bible can be a perplexing book and the Christian way of life can seem nonsensical. To mine the Bible’s richness and to embrace the Way of Christ, both must be approached with prayer and with a prayer partner: the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father has sent in the name of Christ to teach us… (John 14:26).
Are we devoted students? Do we pray for understanding and wisdom when we read the Scriptures? Do we invite the Holy Spirit to our prayer time?
As James said in his epistle: If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all men liberally and without criticism, and it will be given to him. (James 1:5)
Peace and blessings, dear friends.
Melissa Kittrell