Day 59: Obligations to God

Numbers 8:5-26 This chapter gives detailed instructions for the consecration rights of the Levites. The law regulating the consecration of the Levites in some manner are a type of the consecration rites of the New Covenant in which the priests and bishops are ordained to act in persona Christi capitis, “in the Person of Christ the Head,” through the Sacrament of Holy Orders (TYPOLOGY!!). The most important consecratory act takes place in the Liturgy of the Eucharist in which bead and wine become the BODY AND BLOOD OF CHRIST. (CCC 931, 1294, 1377-1380, 1535, 1556)


Ch 9:1-14 The Passover feast was celebrated even in the desert to commemorate the Israelites’ deliverance from Egypt. Those who could not celebrate the Passover on the assigned day through no fault of their own could celebrate it the following month. (CCC 1334)


Deuteronomy 8:1-20 Israel was tested and formed by its travails in the desert. It was a difficult journey but an essential part of God’s plan. Although the fidelity of the Israelites was not constant, God gave them paternal care and protection to form in them a profound identity as the Chosen People. At the same time this long sojourn purified them in such a way that they would have a deeper knowledge and friendship with God. (CCC 54-64)


Ch 8:3 The manna from Heaven, which sustained the Israelites in the desert for forty years, reminded the people that they had to live and be nourished by the WORD OF GOD. We also ask God for daily sustenance when we recite the Lord’s Prayer: “Give us this day our daily bread.” Christ recited this verse in reply to Satan’s temptation to break his forty day fast in the desert by turning stones to bread (cf. Lk 4:4). (CCC 1334, 2835)


Ch 8:5 Know then in your heart: This refers to the very depth of our being. (CCC 2563)


Ch 8:10 You shall bless the Lord: We are capable of blessing God because He first blessed us. (CCC 2645)


Psalm 93: The voice of the waters, the swells of sea waves, and the thunder of waterfalls witness to the power of nature in such a way that we can feel small, vulnerable, and ever fearful. Yet, it also witnesses the power of God, who created everything and gave nature its essential properties. Recognizing the power of God in these waters prompts us to raise our voices in praise and thanksgiving for his bountiful goodness toward us. St. Augustine used the image of the rough seas to explain how, as the faithful raise their voices to spread the Gospel, the storms of rejection and persecution often arise in response, imperiling the boat, which is THE CHURCH. In such times we must not despair; rather, we should remain mindful that Christ is ALWAYS WITH US and that he who created the seas also has the power to calm them. This is the first of eight consecutive psalms extolling the kingship of God, and for this reason the psalm is prayed at Mass on the Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe, Year B, the final Sunday of the liturgical year. Christ came to announce the Kingdom of God, a kingdom NOT OF THIS WORLD, which is a kingdom of GRACE, PEACE, TRUTH, and LOVE that is established within the hearts of Christ’s followers.

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


(Country rooooaaaads take me hoooome to the plaaaaaace where I beloooooooong…….! ;) )

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



Prayer by Fr Mike: “Father in Heaven we thank you and give you praise. Thank you so much for your Word and thank you so much for your guidance. Because, Lord, without you we are lost. Without your light to illuminate the way to light our path, your word O Lord is a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path. Help us, Lord, to trust in your light. Help us to trust in the guidance that you give us. Help us to trust in your Word. Because, Lord, we can hear your Word and dismiss it. We can hear your Word and forget it. We can even see your great works, Lord, and we can forget them and we can forget you. Help us never ever to forget. Help us always to see where you are in our lives and always to hear your voice in our lives. Help us to always follow you wherever you lead no matter what. God, let that be our prayer today. Help us to follow you where you lead no matter what. We make this prayer in the mighty name of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. Amen."

ANDREW'S PARALLELS

The obligation to keep the Passover and the obligation to attend Mass every Sunday.  What an amazing connection Fr. Mike makes to the Mass and our obligation to attend! Here's an aspect to the nature of what it is we celebrate at the Mass, and why it is a mortal sin (offensive to God) if we choose not to go.)

The passage warning Israel not to boast about wealth being of their own doing, and reminding them it is of God's doing, recalls to mind Ephesians 2 and how God's grace is his immeasurable wealth that we are given as a gift from him, not acquired by our own doing.

A look through the passages and where they are quoted in the Gospels, particular Satan's tempting Jesus.