Embedded Files
Joshua 19:49-51 Like Caleb, Joshua received a city for his family, Timnath-serah, in the territory of the tribe of Ephraim
Ch 20:1-9 As required by Mosaic Law and the covenant, six cities of refuge were established as safe havens for persons who accidentally killed someone. Rather than risk death by the vengeance of the surviving family, the perpetrator would be protected in a city of refuge as he or she awaited a fair trial to determine guilt.
Ch 21:1-42 The Levites, the priestly tribe of Israel, were given land and cities in each of the twelve tribal territories, forty-two cities in all.
Ch 21:43-45 This is a frequent point of emphasis in the Old Testament; God is ALWAYS FAITHFUL and kept ALL OF HIS PROMISES to Israel. (CCC 212-214)
Psalm 131 This is a psalm of humility: unlike Adam and Eve, who sought to be like God (cf. Gen 3:5), the psalmist chooses to express the humility of one who knows that everything, beginning with life, comes from God and that God will care for every person as a mother cares for her child. This prayer points to the proper childlike spirit that we should have toward our Father. (Cf. Pope Benedict XVI, General Audience, September 14, 2005)
The human person is created in God’s image; however, God infinitely transcends the nature of the human person. Although we call God “Father” just as Christ in the Old Testament Patriarchs did, God is NEITHER man or woman but PURE SPIRIT (I know this question came up in the Ascension Catholic Bible Studies Facebook Group Page recently so BAM!! 😎). He transcends the differences in gender but at the same time possesses the perfections that mark the two sexes to an infinite degree. He is the model of the perfect father AND the perfect mother. To call God “Father” is to recognize him as the origin and authority over everything and everyone as well as one who is filled with goodness and love for his children and provides for their needs. Moreover, he has the perfection of motherly perfections that we associate with nurturing, caring, and tenderness. Both fathers and mothers should model their parenthood after the example of God the Father. (CCC 239, 370)
(*The Didache Bible RSV-CE Ignatius Edition, 2006)
Once again, MAN OH MAN 😉
Today was one of those days where we gotta get through all the names, all the places, all the things
These places are MEANINGFUL and IMPORTANT for us to note because THEY ARE HISTORY
At the same time, the last lines of Joshua 21 are SO POWERFUL
It sums up WHY we went through all those names
It sums up WHY we went through all those places
It sums up WHY we went through all those tribes
The last words are, “The Lord God gave them rest on every side, just as He had sworn to their fathers. Not one of their enemies had withstood them for the Lord had given all their enemies into their hands…”
Ch 21:45 “Not one of all the good promises, which the Lord had made to the House of Israel had failed. All came to pass.”
This is so so so so good for us to hear
This is so good for us to be reminded of this fact
This was NOT after one day
This was NOT after one week
This was NOT after one month
This was NOT after one year
This was NOT EVEN after one GENERATION
This has happened over MULTIPLE GENERATIONS which are actually a couple of CENTURIES
Here is God’s FAITHFULNESS that came to pass
This was not just HANDED TO THEM
The Israelites had to COOPERATE with God
They had to be FAITHFUL TO GOD
They had to OBEY GOD
They had to FIGHT (FOR THEIR RIGHT TO PAAAAAAARTY!!!! 🤪)
AND YET (😉) NOT ONE of all the good promises which the Lord had made to the House of Israel had failed
ALL CAME TO PASS
All of us need to be reminded of this RIGHT NOW
What God has PROMISED, He WILL FULFILL
It doesn’t mean He will fulfill it IMMEDIATELY
It doesn’t mean He will fulfill it WITHOUT A FIGHT
But it DOES MEAN that GOD IS FAITHFUL TO HIS PROMISES
So we are going to be FAITHFUL AS WELL
Psalm 131 is one of Fr. Mike’s FAVORITES and he often gives it as PENANCE in CONFESSION
Go back and pray it one more time...IT IS SO GOOD
It is a prayer of HUMBLE TRUST
So much of our lives are spent struggling and battling
That is sometimes what we are called to
OFTEN, we STRUGGLE AGAINST THE LORD
OFTEN, we BATTLE AGAINST THE LORD
Psalm 131 REMINDS US that NO...in SILENCE and in PEACE, I rest in the Lord’s Arms as a child in his mother’s arms
Enter into the Lord’s REST
Enter into the Lord’s PEACE
We may be called into BATTLES
We may be called into STRUGGLES
BUT WE ARE NEVER CALLED INTO BATTLING OR STRUGGLING AGAINST THE LORD, OUR GOD
We are called to BE AT PEACE
We are called to ABIDE IN HIS LOVE
We are called to ABIDE IN HIS PRESENCE
We are called to ABIDE IN HIS ARMS, like a child in the arms of his or her MOM
Tomorrow, we will finish the Book of Joshua
He’s gonna have some words for the Israelites, similar to how Moses did
Famous Last Words that remind the People of Israel of their dignity and their high call
Pray for Fr. Mike
Pray for each other
SHOW UP TOMORROW even after a rough day, rough weeks, rough seasons in our lives and just say, “LORD, SPEAK. YOUR SERVANT IS LISTENING”
Prayer by Fr. Mike: “Father in Heaven, we give you praise and we thank you. We give you glory and honor and every breath we have is from you. Every heartbeat is from you. And so, we thank you for every heartbeat. We thank you with every heartbeat. We thank you for every breath. And we thank you with every breath. Lord God, you have given them to us for free, and we are so blind to them so often. So, every moment of every day, especially this day, every heartbeat every breath, let every one be a prayer of praise, a prayer of thanks to you. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.”
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