Our Lady of the Snows Catholic Church

**Reflection based on readings for Saturday Daily Mass, readings for Mass can be found here at USCCB website.**

“But you, O Lord, are close: your commands are truth. Long have I known that your will is established forever.” - Psalm 119:151-152 

Prayer: Lord, You are ever near to those who call upon You, help me to be present to You, to learn Your ways and truths, to hear and heed Your voice that not only I may benefit, but others may benefit too. May I hear Your voice, and act on it, that others may hear it speaking in me and resounding in my actions. Amen. 

Hearken to His Voice 

Today we continue to ponder on God’s law and commands, we pray to God that this pondering may produce in us what is expressed in the first Psalm: “Happy are those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or take the path that sinners tread, or sit in the seat of scoffers; but their delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law, they meditate day and night. They are like trees planted by streams of water, which yield their fruit in its season, and their leaves do not wither. In all that they do, they prosper.” 

I like the opening scripture verse I chose for today too, because it helps us to reflect on the fact that God’s will is eternal, that all He has done, all the ways He has walked with human beings throughout the ages was for our salvation. We can more clearly see this now that Jesus has come. One example of what I mean is this; in God’s call to Abram from Ur of the Chaldeans, God promised to give him a land and descendants to live there. When we look at the geography of the region, we see that this land we now call Israel is narrow bridge on the fertile crescent, positioned on the trade routes between 3 continents. This position means that people moving back and forth and trading will come into contact with God’s chosen people. That as those of other nations move, they can speak of what they saw and hear in Israel of the people, their ways, their culture, their teaching. And even more if they feel God tugging on their hearts they could journey to Jerusalem and see that even there God had a place for them. The temple had a place called the court of the gentiles, where even foreigners could come and worship the one true God. 

Looking at the readings for Mass, the blessing that Moses promises to the Israelites on behalf of God is not only for them, but for others. Sometimes we can forget that God calls us to be a blessing to others. We can become like the Pharisees and seek the law and it's understanding for our own blessings, without care for the benefit of others. We may still have others in mind, but that is because we seek their approval and praise. This is like where Jesus corrects the Pharisees on many occasions, "Everything they do is done for people to see: They make their phylacteries wide and the tassels on their garments long; they love the place of honor at banquets and the most important seats in the synagogues; they love to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces and to be called 'Rabbi' by others." (Mt 23:5-7) or "When you pray, you shall not be as the hypocrites, for. they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and in the. corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men." (Mt 6:5)

The true blessing that God has wanted from the beginning of creation is that we would know Him and know His Voice. This is why Moses says, "Hearken to His voice," and to keep the commands is to know His love. This is why Jesus makes the correction that we see in the Gospel today, "You have heard that it was said, You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy. But I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your heavenly Father, for he makes his sun rise on the bad and the good, and causes rain to fall on the just and the unjust." When we love our enemies and pray for them, then we give greater witness to the love of God. We see the purpose of the Law and Commandments. We desire their good not for our own sake and piety or devotion, but for God's sake as He desires their salvation. God desires that they too would hearken to His voice.

If we hearken to God's voice and those who are our enemies hearken to God's voice, or those who persecute us hearken to God's voice, then we will be together listening to the Voice of the God who loves us and desires our good. If we love the law for our own sake and that we are built up in the eyes of others on this earth, then we become like the Pharisees and scribes who were unable to hearken to Jesus's voice.

So let us hearken to God's voice and ponder on God's law that we might become like the fruitful tree the bears fruit in season and out of season.

May God richly bless you!

-Fr. Jeremy