Homily: Feast of Joachim and Ann

Feast of Joachim and Ann (Exodus 16:1-5,1-13) “Trust Takes Time”

I have wondered at times why people stay in abusive relationships. When I was in campus ministry couples who were dating would often stay together who were not happy. They would not walk away. Why? Because they were afraid of something new. The relationship they had was familiar to them even if it was a bad one. Ending a relationship would take effort and so would looking for a new person to date.

We could say that the same kind of dynamic was going on with the People of Israel. The people had grown used to living in slavery. Even though they were treated horribly by the Egyptians when the Israelites started following Moses through the desert towards the promised land they longed for the security of their captivity.

Why was this the case? It was because it required sacrifice to leave their old way of life and make a new beginning. The desert was blistering hot in the daytime and freezing cold at night. There was also little food in the desert. But perhaps what was most distressing was that the people were moving towards an unknown future. If we have ever had to move from one place to another, we know what this gnawing fear is like. If we have had this experience, we also know what is like to start over with nothing.

The Israelites hungered for their old way because they knew what to expect. Fear is what motivated their complaints as much as the hunger that they felt. Even though they had witnessed the mighty deeds of the Lord when he struck the Egyptians with plagues, and they had seen Moses part the Red Sea so they could walk through it to freedom they still did not trust God.

God fed the people with manna and then he gave them quail to eat. He would take care of one need after another, but the people would quickly lose heart. The Israelites had to travel 40 years in the desert before they were ready for their new home. 40 years was the life expectancy of a human being at the time of Moses. The lesson of this episode in the scripture is that very often it takes a lifetime to be confident in the Lord. We need not despair, but we need to move forward.

Reflection Questions:

1.    What causes me to lose heart? Do I trust God fully?

2.   Do I like change? Why or why not?

 Dear Parishioners,

           Pope Francis is moving ahead with the synod on synodality. This may seem like redundancy. What exactly is this? Synods have been held throughout the history of the Church. Bishops would gather and at times lay leaders to address difficulties in the church.

          Since Vatican II in the 1960’s there have been numerous synods and the church has tried do be more collegial. Usually, bishops have gathered in Rome to study church issues. The synod that will take place this fall will be more inclusive. Lay men and women will be voting members and they will enter the debates that take place. This would have been unheard of ten years ago.

          Change is in the air. Will we try to hold onto the familiar like the Israelites who marched through the desert or will we move forward with confidence in the Holy Spirit. This will be interesting to watch.

          May Our Lady pray for us today,

          Fr. Mark