Let God be God!

In today's first reading, Exodus 32: 15-24, 30-34, Moses comes down from the mountain after an extended period of time in prayer--so long that the people believed  that they would  never see Moses again. They lost faith in the true God and made a God-substitute, a golden calf which they worshipped as God. When Moses returns from prayer carrying the two tablets of the commandments, "tablets that were made by God," and hears the people "cries of revelry," he is incensed with anger. He throws down the two tablets, shattering them into pieces.  Moses says to the people: "You have committed a gave sin. I will go up to the Lord, then; perhaps I may be able to make atonement for you sins."   Moses returns to the mountain of God and says to the Lord: "Ah, this people has indeed committed a grave sin in  making a god of gold for themselves. If you would only forgive their sin!  If you will not, then strike me out of the book that you  have written."  The Lord answers, "Him only who has sinned against me will I strike out of my book. Now, go and lead the people to the place I  have told  you. My angel will go before you. When it is time for me to punish, I will punish them for their sin."

Let God be God is the lesson God teaches Moses.  God asserts His authority in no uncertain terms when he says to Moses:  Him only who has sinned against me will I strike out of my book. Now, go and lead the people to the place I have told you. My angel will go before you. When it is time for me to punish, I will punish them for their sin."  

Are you, am I telling God what to do, who to strike down, who to punish, who to strike "out of the book [God] has written?  God says to us very sternly:  "Mind your own business!  Go do what I am asking of you--lead people to Me, to the heavenly Kingdom, by just and righteous deeds, by your love and service of others. Go and do as I ask of you! Stop concerning yourself about those whom you think deserve My justice!  I am God; there is no other. I am judge, not you!" If you or I  judge others, St. James tells us, we are no observer of the Law but it's judge. That position belongs only to God and not to  you or me (See James 4:11).
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Mary's Assumption into Heaven

Today we celebrate the assumption of our Blessed Virgin Mary into heaven body and soul.

In today's first reading from the book of Revelation, chapter 12: 19a; 12: 1-6a, and 10b,  St. John describes the heavens opening and he sees "the ark of [God's] covenant."  Mary is the Ark of the New Covenant. She carried the Son of God in her womb for 9 months and gave Him birth.

Mary is described in this passage as being"clothed with the sun".  She is crowned with "twelve stars" and, for sure, those stars are more brilliant than any diamonds worn by a bride! Under Mary's feet is "the moon."    Take a moment to imagine this picture of Mary.

John sees Mary in pain,  giving birth and near her stands "a huge red dragon, with seven heads and ten horns, and on its heads were seven diadems...The dragon stood before the woman...,[waiting] to devour her child...She gave  birth to a son,...destined to rule all the nations...Her child is caught up to God and his throne [and Mary] fled into the desert where she had a place prepared by God. Then [John says that he] heard a loud voice in heaven say:

                     'NOW HAVE SALVATION AND POWER COME,
                     AND THE KINGDOM OF OUR GOD
                     AND THE AUTHORITY OF HIS ANOINTED ONE!'" (emphasis is mine)


From the moment of Jesus' birth "salvation and power" have come, as has the "Kingdom of our God and the authority of His anointed one!"  God rules to this very day in ways that those of faith are able to observe.  May we, in faith, seek to know this "salvation and power." May we look for God's Kingdom among us--the Kingdom of God is within us, Jesus tells us in the Gospels--and may we acknowledge the authority of His anointed one in our midst.


             

"If God is for Us, Who Can be Against Us" (Rom. 8:31)

Today the Church celebrates the solemnity of Sts. Peter and Paul.  We read, in the first reading of the liturgy, Acts 12: 1-11, about the miraculous intervention of Peter being freed from prison.  “He had been taken into custody and put in prison under the guard of four squads of four soldiers each…. [P]rayer by the Church was fervently being made to God on his behalf….Suddenly the angel of the Lord stood by him and a light shone in the cell. He tapped Peter on the side and awakened him, saying, ‘Get up quickly.’ The chains fell from his wrists.”  The angel then asked that he follow him out of the prison and they did so in front of all of the guards who were rendered powerless.

We are told in the Gospel of today’s liturgy that Christ built His Church upon “rock,” the rock of Peter and “the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it.”   The Church is built upon God’s plan, a Foundation that will stand forever.  Hell shall never prevail against God’s will!  We need to hear, I believe, what God said so often to the Chosen People: “I am God; there is no other” (Is 45: 5

God’s plans will never be destroyed. Those who attempt to relegate such into oblivion will never succeed any more than did the Egyptians succeed in making powerless God’s plan to deliver Israel from slavery in their day.  The Egyptians certainly tried! Neither was the plan of God destroyed during the Chosen  People’s wanderings in the desert or their mingling with pagan gods or during their exile from Jerusalem, from the Presence of their God in the Temple. God is God; there is no other.  The Chief Priests and Scribes and leaders of the Jewish people attempted to destroy the will of God by putting Jesus to death—God raised Jesus from the dead: the gates of hell shall not prevail against the Church, against God’s plan for our salvation.    Neither will the plan of God be obliterated today by the false gods of our times: possessions, pleasure, power.  God’s authority will not be usurped by the authority of those in power today. God says to us, as He did to the Egyptians: “I am God; there is no other.”