PASSAGES

PASSAGES -3^rd Sunday of Lent, Year A

            The Book of Exodus gives us the account of the Israelites being delivered by God under Moses from the bondage of slavery in Egypt through the Red Sea, across the desert to the Promised Land. The New Testament gives us an account of our deliverance through Jesus’ life, death and resurrection. In the waters of Baptism, sin is destroyed, and we pass through the desert of this life toward the New Testament Promised Land of the kingdom of heaven.

            As Paul reminds us: “Since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through whom we have gained access by faith to this grace in which we stand…” To get to the fullness of salvation in the kingdom of heaven, we have to pass through this life. The desert is a good image for life in this world compared to life with God in heaven. The Israelites had to pass though the Sinai Desert on the way to the Promised Land, which they lost sight of in the desert of need. People on the way to the kingdom of heaven can lose sight of the destination of life with God in heaven.

            The passage through the desert and the passage through this life are times of struggle to fulfill the basic needs of human life. When the needs are not fulfilled, people can begin to grumble against one another and the Lord. Exodus tells us of the experience of the Israelites in the desert. They got thirsty and hungry. They blamed Moses for bringing them out of Egypt. They also blamed the Lord. We see people today blaming the Lord, and blaming others when their human needs are not being met.

            The Lord provided the water. Moses was told to strike the rock with the staff he had used to open up the sea for them to pass through. The Israelites named the place Massah, which means quarreling, and Meribah, which means testing. They quarreled with Moses and tested the Lord saying, “Is the Lord in our midst or not?” Quarreling and testing of the Lord was not just what the Israelites did. Peoples in all ages have and still do so.

            Our passage through this life demands more than physical and emotional food and drink. If we are to successfully pass through this life and realize our hope of glory in the kingdom of heaven, we need the spiritual food and drink the Lord provides. While being concerned about our physical and emotional needs for water and food, we need to keep in mind our spiritual needs, and seek spiritual water and bread the Lord provides for us.

            The Samaritan woman met Jesus as she went to draw water. The Lord drew attention to the living spiritual water that leads to eternal life, which He provides. “If you knew the gift of God, and who is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink’, you would ask Him and He would have given you living water.” She kept thinking about the physical water in the well. Jesus didn’t have a bucket. Jesus said that whoever drinks the living water will have a fountain within, which provides for eternal life. The life giving water Jesus was speaking about is the Holy Spirit. As Paul said “…the love of God has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit…given to us”.

            The Holy Spirit is given to us in our baptism, and strengthens us as we pass through this life. The Holy Spirit moves us to consume the spiritual food of doing the will of God. We make our passage through the desert of this life best when we are doing the will of God and keeping the commandments and teachings of the Lord and worshiping God in Spirit and truth. Life has enough burdens without taking on the burdens of not keeping the commandments, and quarreling and testing others and the Lord. Jesus brings us the Bread come down from heaven, the Living Bread. We need the spiritual bread of life in the Word of God and the Living Bread of Jesus, His Body and Blood, to keep us alive spiritually and eternally.

            Our physical and emotional hungers and thirsts can remind us of our spiritual and eternal thirsts for the Holy Spirit and the Living Bread of the glorified Lord in the Eucharist. His Body and Blood given to us to sustain us in our baptismal life, as we pass through this life on the way to the Promised Land of the kingdom of Heaven!

Reflection from Divine Mercy #486

“Jesus, when you come to me in Holy Communion, You, who together with the Father and the Holy Spirit, have deigned to dwell in the little Heaven of my heart, I try to keep you company throughout the day, I do not leave You alone for even a moment.”