Wedenday, July 28, 2021

 Wednesday of the Seventeenth Week in Ordinary Time

 (Exodus 34:29-35; Matthew 13:44-46)

 One of Michelangelo’s most famous sculptures shows Moses with horns protruding from his head!  It was not that Michelangelo thought Moses some kind of devil.  Rather he was faithfully depicting the figure described in the Latin Bible that was used at the time.  In it the Hebrew word for radiance was incorrectly translated as horn.  Hence the great sculptor and holy man Michelangelo shapes horns coming out of Moses’ head. 

 Moses is radiant, of course, from having seen God face-to-face.  God directly imparts His wisdom and love so that Moses cannot help but be changed.  He has the flush look of an Olympic athlete who has just won a gold medal.  The gospels speak of Jesus as having a similar radiance when he is transformed on the mountaintop.  He also has seen God face-to-face. 

 We hope to have the Beatific Vision in eternal life.  We are wise not to speculate much on what this will be like.  However, the Book of Revelation tells us that the just will see God’s face.  Since it is experienced out of time, the site cannot grow boring.  We can rest assured that it will make us happy.

 

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