Memorial of the Queenship of Mary
(Judges 6:11-24a; Matthew 19:23-30)
The dialogue between Gideon and the angel sounds something
like “Saturday Night Live.” When the
angel assures Gideon that the Lord stands with His people, Gideon retorts
cynically. “If the Lord is with us,” he
asks, “then why has all this (humiliation) happened to us?” The answer to his query should be obvious to
Gideon. Israel’s lack of success in
battle against the Midianites is their infidelity to God’s Covenant. Compromising their integrity as a people,
they become easy prey to enemies.
Gideon may be talking flippantly because he is not sure
whether the stranger before him is really the Lord. He asks for a sign which is given when fire
consumes Gideon’s sacrificial offering.
Knowing that he is in the Lord’s presence, Gideon begins to wonder if he
will suffer for his impertinence.
However, God assures him not to worry.
We should not hesitate to open our hearts to God in prayer. But humility is called for in such awesome
company. God is, after all, our Creator,
not our buddy. He befriends us out of
love but does not share our tendencies to complain and gossip. We should speak with Him as with a revered
professor who has deigned to give us his time.
That is, we should be attentive to His correction and appreciative of
His encouragement.
