Monday, August 3, 2015

Homily: Monday of the 18th Week in OT - Complaining about Manna



God had worked many miracles for the Jews, he was working a daily miracle for them, dropping manna from heaven for them to eat.  Their reaction should have been incredible gratitude for the Lord’s love and care for them.  But instead of thanking God for what they had, what God had given them, they complained about what they didn’t have, and started blaming God and driving Moses totally crazy.

“Would that we had meat for food! We remember the fish we used to eat without cost in Egypt, and the cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, the onions, and the garlic! we see nothing before us but this manna

Spiritually, emotionally, it is quite a dangerous pastime when we sit around and think about all the things that we don’t have.  Or as we get older, simply to think about all that we have lost.  We can work ourselves into a pretty heavy depression when we ruminate too often on deteriorating agility, health—maybe our circle of friends is growing smaller, maybe family members who should know better are calling less—we simply cannot do the same things we used to with ease.  We can focus on things from the past so intensely that we forget about the tremendous blessings God places in our midst every single day.

Every day, God reigns down upon this altar everything we need for joy—everything—for he gives us Himself—what else do we need? There is a constant danger—a tactic that the Enemy uses to distract us—he distracts us with memories from the past so we do not appreciate the blessings of the present.  We can become sour and jaded when we fail to appreciate and gave thanks for the blessings God showers upon us now, today.  Some people seem to find their only joy in life through complaining.  But our lips are not meant for complaining, but for praising God, and for sharing the joy of the Gospel.

May the Holy Spirit help us to give up the trappings of the past and the distractions of earthly pleasures, that we may come to realize the true joy of heaven, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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