Monday, July 19, 2021

 If you want to continue receiving homilettes by email, please send me your name and email address.  (If you have already done so, there is no need to repeat.)  I have been having difficulty adopting another mailing service.  However, Google seems to be sending the homilettes out for the time being at least.  When it stops, I will send out the homilettes to all whose email addresses if the email service problem is not resolved by then. Thank you for your readership.  cm

Monday of the Sixteenth Week in Ordinary Time

(Exodus 14:5-18; Matthew 12:38-42)

Perhaps all of us have sought signs of the Lord’s will.  We have asked that God reveal to us how we are faring or what we should do in a particular situation.  The readings today show that requests for signs are not fitting for faithful people.

In the first reading the children of Israel it between Pharaoh's army and the sea.  When Moses tells them that the Lord will act on their behalf, he is reprimanded.  God says to him, “’Why are you crying out to me? Tell the people to go forward.  And you, lift up your staff…’”  He means that they should act and not wait for God to do something for them.  When Pharisees in today’s gospel ask for a sign from Jesus, he also rebukes the request.  He says that there will eventually be a sign, but it will not be given to satisfy their doubt.  The people must believe in Jesus’ divine mission. 

We cannot allow our faith to be dependent upon God fulfilling our wishes.  He has already given us more than we can even desire with the Incarnation and Paschal Mystery of His Son.  However, we should not be surprised to experience supernatural help as we act with prudence.  Nor should we desist to ask God’s help in our endeavors.