Homily for Thursday, Week 4 of Lent

Homily for Thursday
4th Week of Lent

March 23, 2023
Ex 32: 7-14
Provincial House, New Rochelle

In the 1st reading, God disowns his people.  He tells Moses they’re “your people whom you  brought out of Egypt.”  He tempts Moses by offering to make him the father of a new chosen people.

Moses isn’t buying it.  He reminds God that Israel is his people still, in spite of their sin, and it was he, not Moses, who liberated them.  Then he pleads for God to have mercy.  And God does.

In the collect, we invoked that same divine mercy.  We count on it.  We need it to take away our sins and liberate us from whatever binds us to evil in our thoughts, words, actions, or omissions.  We know that.

Further, as priests and religious we take on the role of Moses.  The psalm spoke of his stepping into the breach between God and Israel to plead for them (106:23).  We plead for God’s mercy toward his people, for Christians, for everyone.  We plead for God to have compassion on all who suffer from strife and disasters, and to save all from their sins; to lead us all safely to the promised land of the eternal paschal festivities (cf. Collect).

(Picture by W.C. Simmonds)