I took this picture last Saturday as I was coming back from my routine daily walk. The deer stood about ten feet away from me as I passed it, and then I turned back to take a look and it kept looking at me, then I took out my phone camera to take the shot. I asked myself, why did the deer not run away? Did it trust that I will not harm him since it is not deer season? I don’t have a clue. Trust is the word that resonates in today’s readings.
When the chips are down, and the risk is real, how easy it is to trust in the Lord. Sometimes, we are like the Israelites who when faced with fear of attacks by the Egyptians, feared that the Lord would abandon them in the desert. The fearful Israelites requested immediate solutions.
However, Moses told the people of Israel to trust in God’s promise and words, for their rescue. We read about God’s manifestation of his power, as the Israelites were able to cross the Sea and the Egyptians were destroyed in the Sea.
The Responsorial Psalm is the song of thanksgiving by Moses and the Israelites for their crossing of the Sea and their deliverance by God.
In the Gospel, Jesus declares that unbelieving individuals will be liable for their failure to accept Him and His message. Notwithstanding the many signs and wonders that Jesus performed in the presence of the Pharisees and the Scribes, they still demand to see signs. They adamantly refused to believe in Him.
What else could I learn from these readings? Doubt and fear could affect or prevent us from truly following the path that the good Lord has marked out for us. Trusting in God’s love and provident leads to success.
So, let us keep our faith in God and not easily be discouraged or swayed by the many challenges and trials around us.
Let us not hold on to pride and prejudices, nor be swayed by fear and the desires of the world, instead let us hold on to the truth of the Gospel.
In life, some risks are unavoidable, they are part of our life. Spouses take the risk of commitment: “for better, for worse” as they pledge fidelity to one another.
How disappointed Jesus must have felt when people showed interest only in miracles, instead of wanting a deeper relationship with God.
Have a blessed week!
