Tuesday
of the Twentieth Week in Ordinary Time
(Judges
6:11-24a; Matthew 19:23-30)
Vocation stories are
prominently featured in Scripture. Moses,
Jeremiah, and St. Paul are perhaps the best known. They demonstrate not only God’s attention to
human persons, but also their use in carrying out His purposes. Today’s first reading describes the call of the
judge, Gideon, to defeat Israel’s enemy, the Midianite kingdom. Not untypical of vocation stories, Gideon
expresses doubt that he can be of service.
However, God is looking for faithfulness here, not prowess. Gideon makes a sacrifice in God’s honor, and
God blesses him with the wherewithal to defeat the enemy.
Gideon will lead a
reduced army against the numerous Midianites.
When the time for battle arrives, the Lord confuses the Midianite troops
so thoroughly that they kill one another.
Israel again conquers its enemies with the help of God.
God is calling each of
us. It takes time to discern what He has
in mind. But by dialoging with the Lord
in prayer and showing the same faithfulness as Gideon, we will come to know His
will for us. God does not abandon His
people.
