Day 37: The mystical works of God

Exodus 17:1-7 The miraculous water from the rock is a type (TYPOLOGY!!) of the “living water” that would flow from the pierced side of Christ signifying the Sacraments of Baptism and the Eucharist. Water also symbolizes the grace of the Holy Spirit, which is new birth in the life of Christ as in the Sacrament of Baptism. (CCC 694)


Ch 17:1-3 Due to the Fall of Adam and Eve, sin afflicted everyone, resulting in great violations of human dignity as well as egregious injury to human life. Throughout the Old Testament, however, God assembled and prepared his people for the Incarnation of Christ, who would repair the damage caused by sin to the human race God’s plan of salvation was unveiled GRADUALLY as a way of preparation for Christ’s radical message of holiness and his redemption. The faith of the Israelites weakened despite their witnews to the miraculous liberation from Egypt and the ongoing miraculous appearances of manna and quail. (CCC 401, 431)


Ch 17:7 Testing God with a dare or challenge is the sin of TEMPTING GOD; it shows a lack of respect for him by ignoring the ordinary means he offers to us to avoid sin and to obtain both material and spiritual goods. Tempting God is a gravely evil act since it arrogantly demands and presumes God’s assistance without any human cooperation with his grace. As the psalmist would later write of this episode: 


“Harden not your hearts, as at Meribah,

As on the day at Massah in the wilderness,

When your fathers tested me,

And put me to the proof, though they had seen my work” (Ps 95:8-9)


The Lord’s support of the Israelites in their battle against the Amalekites is evidence of his continued faithfulness to the covenant despite the complaints of his people. Moses’ gesture of prayer during this battle, exhibited by extended hands, demonstrates the importance of prayer in accomplishing God’s will. (CCC 2119)


Ch 18:13-24 While forming a hierarchy in the Israelites community, Moses’ instructions preserved the principle of subsidiarity, which delegated the lesser authorities to handle day-to-day affairs and reserved the most pressing matters for the higher authorities. Such an arrangement also prevented those in authority from infringing on their subjects’ rightful autonomy in resolving their own difficulties and in making their own decisions in keeping with the common good. (CCC 1883, 1885, 1894-1896)


Leviticus 12:1-8 The Israelites as well as many ancient cultures believed that sexual relations needed to reflect an objective moral standard Apparent dysfunctions and irregularities in anything pertaining to reproduction were regarded as iompure. This chapter covers issues surrounding childbirth, and a later chapter covers the particular issues concerning relationships between men and women. The Church looks with compassion upon those married couples who have difficulty conceiving a child and encourages them to adopt children or to seek therapeutic solutions compatible with the requirements of human dignity and the sacredness of marital love. (CCC 2374-2379)


Psalm 73 This psalm speaks about a good man who became disheartened by the apparent prosperity of the wicked and wondered if fidelity to his Law really mattered. He decided to resolve this by going to the Temple to pray, and as he was illuminated subsequently by the realization that eventually all people will be subject to a just pronouncement on the goodness or evilness of their deeds. He immediately regretted his doubts and reaffirmed his faith in God. Justice delayed, in this instance, was certainly not justice denied. Pure of heart: this term makes us think immediately of THE BEATITUDES, in which Christ said, “Blessed are the pure of heart, for they shall see God,” (Mt 5:8). The psalmist compromised some of that purity of heart as a consequence of his envy over those who prospered in violation of God’s Law. This beatitude calls on all the faithful to free themselves of all worldly attachments, including wealth, fame, power, and accolades that can deteriorate into IDOLATRY. A pure heart has God as its FIRST LOVE and ULTIMATE FOCUS. (CCC 1723)

(*The DIdache Bible RSV-CE Ignatius Edition, 2006)




“God has led you these forty years in the wilderness, that he might humble you, testing you to know what was in your heart … he humbled you and let you hunger and fed you with manna … that he might make you know that man does not live by bread alone, but by everything that proceeds out of the mouth of the Lord. (Dt 8:2-3) 


(*Walking With God: A Journey Through the Bible by Tim Gray and Jeff Cavins)



WHEN ALL NATURAL EXPLANATIONS ARE ELIMINATED, WHAT’S LEFT IS THE SUPERNATURAL




Prayer by Fr. Mike: "Father in Heaven, we thank you. We thank you for your Word. We give you praise and glory. We ask that you please be with us right now and always. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen."

ANDREW'S PARALLELS

Who at first glance would think to link the water gushing forth from the rock with Jesus as St. Paul does? St. Caesarius of Arles has a great commentary on how the rock that the water gushed forth from is Christ.

For Joshua to remain victorious over Amalek, Moses had to stand on the mountain and keep his arms strecthed, like Jesus had to remain on the the cross on the mount of Golgotha to be victorious over sin and death. As the sun withdrew, his arms grew tired, and Aaron and Hur had to help keep his arms raised, foreshadowing the two thieves on each side of Christ crucified. 

A Commentary by Gregory the Dialogist (AD 604) made mention what the names of Aaron and Hur mean. With that, check out the Scripture verses next tot heir names and how they link to Christ!

Moses sat to judge the people.  In Matthew 23, we see the Pharisees sit on "Moses' seat."  The succession of authority in Moses' seat doesn't appear in Scripture, but Jewish Tradition.  In Matthew 23, though the Pharisees don't practice what they preach, Jesus still acknowledges their authority to teach. It shows some Old Testament roots of Apostolic Succession and authority given to the Church to bind and loose, particularly from the chair of St. Peter that the Pope sits, a chair that also has been handed down through Tradition.

Leviticus 12 outlines the Mosaic Law of purification that Mary had to follow after the birth of Christ. What interests me is that a woman may not touch anything hallowed for the first forty days after giving birth. Of courseWhen we get to Luke 2, we learn by the offering of turtle doves and pigeons that Jesus was born into humble origins. The law also illuminates that although Mary and Joseph couldn't afford a lamb to offer, the presented something greater- the Lamb of God.

At the bottom is an Apologetics tip regarding the dogma of Mary's sinlessness.