The
first reading today reveals God desire to be present in a distinct
and powerful way to his people – especially when they are wandering in
unfamiliar territory, and seemingly lost. He comes up with the idea of
“dwelling somewhat visibly in a tent” – or at least around it, or near it – by
means of a cloud, fiery or otherwise.. The tent, called the “Dwelling” – was
constructed by Moses according to God’s own specifications – and then God took
up residence there to be faithful and reliable source of strength and direction
to the “desert-people”.
This “dwelling place” idea is
reminiscent of the very tabernacle on our altars which contain not the Ark of
the Covenant – which was written on tablets of stone – but rather the living
Reality of God’s New Covenant: The Body and Blood of Christ Himself – who is
all of the power, glory, strength, guidance, direction and love that God has to
offer his people at any given moment: that people being us, the “new people of
God.”
May we look to the tabernacle
each day to gain the power and the nourishment we need to journey through the
desert of any given day – and we will surely get it. “How lovely is God’s
dwelling place.”
The gospel passage is a
comforting one to those living in a world that is becoming more and more
bizarre every day: a world where “the children of the circus” live and act out
disturbing and even frightening vignettes and dramas. The Kingdom of heaven at
this point of the game is full of “all kinds” of people – some of whom are
right on target with true spiritual goals – and some who are far from it – but
at the end, the parable tells us, when the angels come – and it is sorting time
– the bizarre, bad and barbaric ones will be cast away into “the fiery furnace”
where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth. This is true, this is not
just some fictitious effort at crowd control – we are all accountable for
forming our lives in the image of God – and the countenance of Christ himself –
not some self-styled counterfeit and imposter. May we be not the imposter
today, but the real deal!
Open
our hearts, O Lord, to listen to the words of your Son, so
that we can make necessary changes in our lives.
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