Homily for July 12, Tuesday of the XV week in Ordinary Time, year I
Moses lived a charmed life right from the start. The first reading today gives us a quick summary of the first part of his life, and we see how instead of being killed as an infant by the Egyptians- as happened to many of the boys born at that time – he was saved. But not only was he saved; he ended up being raised and educated as a member of the royal family of Egypt. God also protected him when Moses ran afoul of the Egyptians by using lethal force to defend a fellow Hebrew. He certainly passed through moments of danger and difficulty throughout his entire life, but God was always there to help him.
We all know that all these blessings that God gave him were not random or unplanned; God gave Moses great gifts, because He was preparing Moses for a great mission. As Jesus tells us, much will be expected of those to whom much has been given.
The same message can be gathered from the Gospel today. Jesus explains that the people who witnessed the Lord’s teaching and miracles, and yet failed to repent from their sins, would be sorely punished – more than the sinful people of the cities of Tyre, Sidon, and Sodom, who never knew Christ and were probably misled and largely ignorant of God’s will.
We here today have received much. We are all alive, we are living in a country that is politically stable, and we know the essentials of our faith. We have suffered too, each in our own way, but we like Moses, we need to focus less on the difficulties, and more on all the good things God has given us and will surely continue to provide. From those to whom much has been given, much will be expected. God has a fruitful plan for each one of us. May He grant us the wisdom, trust, courage and generosity to discover that plan each day and live it to the full.
Perpetual Learner 