"But with their patience worn out by the journey, the people complained..."
Numbers 21:4-5
My dear friends, our Old Testament reading for today encapsulates well human frailty. Let me briefly summarize. Moses has led the Chosen people out of the brutality of slavery with a great miracle; parting of the Red Sea to ensure an escape route. What an unspeakable privilege! 1st, to be the Chosen people of God, 2nd , to have the loving and all-powerful God rescue you, and 3rd, to witness marvelous feats that oppose the laws of nature! Incredible, right?! But we hear in this Scripture verse, the people are over the difficult journey and complaining about the “wretched food” they have to eat. Talk about losing perspective! But we shouldn’t judge too harshly the Hebrews. With even just a little self-reflection we can probably see ourselves in their ingratitude. We, too, allow the daily challenges we face to overwhelm the abundance God reigns down on us. In our reading, some Jews lost their lives due to their unappreciative hearts. We Christians also risk slipping into spiritual death when we allow our challenges, real as they are, to outweigh the unspeakable goodness of our loving Lord. So today, in spite of the bad traffic, or our financial troubles, or the burdens of aging loved ones (you fill in the blanks), let’s be intentional about stirring gratitude for our Good Shepherd that desires to part the seas of our trials so as to lead us safely through to His Kingdom for all eternity.
What blessings from God can we focus on today in order to cultivate an attitude of gratitude?
Father in Heaven, please grant me the graces to live out Christian joy, aware of your abundant generosity. Amen
Today’s Reflection is by:
Jina Masters
Did you know...
Jina Masters, longtime parishioner of Incarnation Catholic Church, is employed at Tampa Catholic High School as the Theology Chair and Christian Service Coordinator for the community. She founded the Blessed Edmund Society of Tampa at the high school, dedicated to humbly serving nonprofits according to the 7 Social Teachings of the Catholic Church. Jina’s primary vocation, as wife of Travis Masters and mother to their 4 magnificent children, is her greatest joy! Her goals include loving Jesus more each day and someday making it to the bottom of the laundry pile.
