Wednesday of the Third Week of Lent,
March 22, 2017.
1st Reading: Deuteronomy 4:1, 5-9
Moses spoke to the people and said: “Now, Israel, hear the statutes and decrees which I am teaching you to observe, that you may live, and may enter in and take possession of the land which the LORD, the God of your fathers, is giving you. Therefore, I teach you the statutes and decrees as the LORD, my God, has commanded me, that you may observe them in the land you are entering to occupy.Observe them carefully,
for thus will you give evidence of your wisdom and intelligence to the nations, who will hear of all these statutes and say,
‘This great nation is truly a wise and intelligent people.’ For what great nation is there that has gods so close to it as the LORD, our God, is to us whenever we call upon him? Or what great nation has statutes and decrees that are as just as this whole law which I am setting before you today? “However, take care and be earnestly on your guard not to forget the things which your own eyes have seen,
nor let them slip from your memory as long as you live, but teach them to your children and to your children’s children.” The word of the Lord.
Responsorial Psalm:147:12-13, 15-16, 19-20
R/. Praise the Lord, Jerusalem.
Gospel: Matthew 5:17-19
Jesus said to his disciples: “Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets. I have come not to abolish but to fulfill. Amen, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or the smallest part of a letter will pass from the law, until all things have taken place.
Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do so will be called least in the Kingdom of heaven. But whoever obeys and teaches these commandments will be called greatest in the Kingdom of heaven.”
The gospel of the Lord.
WEDNESDAY REFLECTIONS:
Sometimes God seems to move slowly…very slowly. Perhaps we’ve all found it hard to be patient with the timing of God in our lives. It’s easy to think that we know best and if we only pray harder, then we will push God’s hand and He will finally act, doing what we pray for. But this is not the way God works. The Scripture above should give us some insight into God’s ways. They are slow, steady, and perfect. Jesus refers to the “law and the prophets” stating that He came not to abolish them but to fulfill them. This is true. But it’s worth looking carefully how this came about. It came about over many thousands of years. It took time for the perfect plan of God to unfold. But it did unfold in His time and in His way. Perhaps all those in the Old Testament were anxious for the Messiah to come and to fulfill all things. But prophet after prophet came and went and continued to point to the future coming of the Messiah.
Even the Old Testament law was a way of preparing God’s people for the coming of the Messiah. But again, it was a slow process of forming the law, implementing it for the people of Israel, enabling them to understand it, and then beginning to live it. Even when the Messiah finally did come, there were many who, in their excitement and zeal, wanted Him to fulfill all things right then and there. They wanted their earthly kingdom to be established and they wanted their newfound Messiah to take up His Kingdom! But God’s plan was so very different than human wisdom. His ways were far above our ways. And His ways continue to be far above our ways! Jesus fulfilled every part of the Old Testament law and prophets, just not in the way many were expecting. What does this teach us? It teaches us lots of patience. And it teaches us surrender, trust and hope. If we want to pray hard and pray well, we need to pray correctly. And the correct way to pray is to continually pray that Thy will be done! Again, this is hard at first, but it becomes easy when we understand and believe that God always has the perfect plan for our lives and for every struggle and situation in which we find ourselves.
Pray with me: Lord, I entrust my life to You. I trust that You have the perfect plan for me and for all Your beloved children. Give me patience to wait upon You and to let You bring Your divine will to fulfillment in my life. Jesus, I trust in You that You alone will heal our sick brethren and set them free. May the souls of our faithful departed brethren rest in perfect peace, amen.
Sourced by Wiezman Eleanya