Homily: Eighteenth Tuesday of Ordinary Time
Eighteenth Tuesday of Ordinary Time (Numbers 12:1-13) “Mercurial or Merciful?”
Miriam was one of the five women prophets of the Old Testament. She was the older sister of Moses and saved him when Pharoah was putting all infant boys to death. She convinced her mother to hide Moses in a basket and set him afloat on the river. She then followed Moses until he was discovered by Pharoah’s daughter.
She is mentioned several times in the accounts of the Exodus. She sings the refrain of a hymn song by the Israelites when they had safely made it through the Red Sea. Her words in Exodus 15:21 are these:
“Sing to the Lord for he is gloriously triumphant.
Horse and chariot he has cast in the sea.”
Mariam enjoyed great influence in the Israelite community. Maybe she felt that she was just as important as Moses. Sometimes people who have great spiritual gifts get in trouble. Gifted people can become too egotistical and forget where their gifts come from. Such was the case with Miriam.
She became mad at Moses for his marriage to an Ethiopian woman and she spoke out against him. We hear how God gets mad at her and her brother Aaron for fomenting trouble among the people. Miriam is struck with leprosy for gossiping about Moses.
We can lament the fact that she was the one punished and ask why Aaron was not similarly punished. Sometimes the stories in the Old Testament cause us to wonder about the God we read about.
We must remember that gods were seen as capricious and that they seldom changed their mind. Mercy was not an attribute associate with most gods in the ancient world. We see God’s mercy extended to Miriam. She is cured of her leprosy and is restored to the community.
We have in Miriam a story of contrition, forgiveness, and reconciliation. She learns a hard lesson, but she takes that lesson to heart and benefits from a forgiving God.
Reflection Questions:
- Have I ever spoken unfairly of another? How did I feel about it?
- God is portrayed in the Old Testament as angry and vindictive at times. Did Jesus change people’s perception of God?
Dear Parishioners,
One of the ministries that has started again after the pandemic is the Blessings Gift Shop. Do you need a rosary or spiritual book or a Bible? If so, you do not have to go online or drive many miles to find a religious item. Quite often it can be found in the Blessings Gift Shop, located in the vestibule of our church.
Loretta Ceurvorst started the gift shop, and she manages it. It is open after most of our Masses. The gift shop has served a lot of people through the years. If you have a need a religious item, stop by and see what Blessings Gift Shop has to offer.
May Our Lady and all the Angels and Saints watch over you.
Fr. Mark