20250719 PATIENCE IN WAITING FOR GOD’S PLAN TO UNFOLD
19 July 2025, Saturday, 15th Week in Ordinary Time
First reading | Exodus 12:37-42 |
The sons of Israel leave Egypt hurriedly by night
The sons of Israel left Rameses for Succoth, about six hundred thousand on the march – all men – not counting their families. People of various sorts joined them in great numbers; there were flocks, too, and herds in immense droves. They baked cakes with the dough which they had brought from Egypt, unleavened because the dough was not leavened; they had been driven out of Egypt, with no time for dallying, and had not provided themselves with food for the journey. The time that the sons of Israel had spent in Egypt was four hundred and thirty years. And on the very day the four hundred and thirty years ended, all the array of the Lord left the land of Egypt. The night, when the Lord kept vigil to bring them out of the land of Egypt, must be kept as a vigil in honour of the Lord for all their generations.
Responsorial Psalm |
Psalm 135(136):1,10-15,23-24 |
Great is his love, love without end.
or
Alleluia.
O give thanks to the Lord for he is good.
Great is his love, love without end.
or
Alleluia.
He remembered us in our distress.
Great is his love, love without end.
or
Alleluia.
And he snatched us away from our foes.
Great is his love, love without end.
or
Alleluia.
The first-born of the Egyptians he smote.
Great is his love, love without end.
or
Alleluia.
He brought Israel out from their midst.
Great is his love, love without end.
or
Alleluia.
Arm outstretched, with power in his hand.
Great is his love, love without end.
or
Alleluia.
He divided the Red Sea in two.
Great is his love, love without end.
or
Alleluia.
He made Israel pass through the midst.
Great is his love, love without end.
or
Alleluia.
He flung Pharaoh and his force in the sea.
Great is his love, love without end.
or
Alleluia.
Gospel Acclamation | Ps118:27 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
Make me grasp the way of your precepts,
and I will muse on your wonders.
Alleluia!
Or: | 2Co5:19 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
God in Christ was reconciling the world to himself,
and he has entrusted to us the news that they are reconciled.
Alleluia!
Gospel |
Matthew 12:14-21 |
He cured them all but warned them not to make him known
The Pharisees went out and began to plot against Jesus, discussing how to destroy him.
Jesus knew this and withdrew from the district. Many followed him and he cured them all, but warned them not to make him known. This was to fulfil the prophecy of Isaiah:
Here is my servant whom I have chosen,
my beloved, the favourite of my soul.
I will endow him with my spirit,
and he will proclaim the true faith to the nations.
He will not brawl or shout,
nor will anyone hear his voice in the streets.
He will not break the crushed reed,
nor put out the smouldering wick
till he has led the truth to victory:
in his name the nations will put their hope.
PATIENCE IN WAITING FOR GOD’S PLAN TO UNFOLD
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [EX 12:37-42; MT 12:14-21]
When Jacob migrated to Egypt, he brought with him 70 people from his family. “All the persons belonging to Jacob who came into Egypt, who were his own offspring, not including Jacob’s sons’ wives, were sixty-six persons in all; and the sons of Joseph, who were born to him in Egypt, were two; all the persons of the house of Jacob, that came into Egypt, were seventy.” (Gn 46:26f) And they spent all together 430 years in Egypt. “And on the very day the four hundred and thirty years ended, all the array of the Lord left the land of Egypt.” By then, the family of Jacob had grown to more than one-and-a-half million, including their families, for when the “sons of Israel left Rameses for Succoth, about six hundred thousand on the march – all men – not counting their families.” And this was in spite of Pharaoh’s harsh policies against the Israelites.
The plan of God takes many years to unfold. From the time of Abraham to Jacob, from Joseph to Moses, took more than 700 years. St Peter wrote, “Do not ignore this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day” (2 Pt 3:8). The psalmist also says, “For a thousand years in your sight are but as yesterday when it is past, or as a watch in the night” (Ps 90:4). That is why we must be patient in allowing the plan of God to unfold itself. We cannot hurry the plan of God, but we must be ready to abide by God’s time, not ours. All we need do is to cooperate with His plan, doing our part like the Fathers of Israel, and then allow God to unfold His plan for humanity.
This was also the case with Jesus. He was not foolhardy enough to confront the Jewish leaders head-on. We read that when “the Pharisees went out and began to plot against Jesus, discussing how to destroy him. Jesus knew this and withdrew from the district.” Jesus did not throw down the gauntlet at the leaders. Instead, He knew that His mission was far from complete. He backed down and chose to retreat. He did not force God’s hand on these people; rather, He discerned that it was wiser to withdraw and reassess His strategy and mission.
He also sought to build the kingdom in a more unobtrusive way. We read that “many followed him and he cured them all, but warned them not to make him known.” St Matthew sees the way Jesus handled the potential conflict as a fulfillment of the prophecy of Isaiah. “Here is my servant whom I have chosen, my beloved, the favorite of my soul. I will endow him with my spirit, and he will proclaim the true faith to the nations. He will not brawl or shout, nor will anyone hear his voice in the streets. He will not break the crushed reed, nor put out the smouldering wick till he has led the truth to victory: in his name the nations will put their hope.” The approach of the Servant of God – of whom Jesus is the fulfillment – would be one of gentleness and non-violence. Jesus would not establish the kingdom through force or coercion. Instead, He proclaimed the kingdom through lowliness in service and love. He came to give encouragement and hope to those who felt marginalized or abandoned. Jesus became a light for those in darkness and a source of hope for the nations.
This requires faith in God’s providence. Indeed, it was by faith that the Israelites left Egypt. “People of various sorts joined them in great numbers; there were flocks, too, and herds in immense droves. They baked cakes with the dough which they had brought from Egypt, unleavened because the dough was not leavened … they had not provided themselves with food for the journey.” They never considered how Moses could feed so many people in the desert. Yet, in the middle of the night, without bringing food, they set out from Egypt into the wilderness. Such was the faith the sons of Israel had in God through Moses. Without that faith, only the foolhardy would have taken such a risk. They trusted that God would provide for them.
Secondly, we need perseverance to see through what the Lord has begun in us. The ancestors of Israel were determined to hold fast to the promises God had made to Abraham. They never doubted God’s faithfulness to His covenant. Even though it took hundreds of years for the promise to be fulfilled, that did not matter. Their task was simply to play their part faithfully in God’s plan. It was the same for Jesus. He was determined to complete His mission despite the many obstacles He faced. When challenged or opposed, He would retreat and reassess His strategy. As a man, Jesus had to endure what all leaders experience: resistance and opposition. Every leader faces challenges, whether he is doing good or evil. A true leader must have the fortitude to see through his plans even when the world is against him. That is why a leader is the keeper of the vision. In the face of opposition and setbacks, he must keep his eyes on the vision so as not to lose focus in what he has set out to accomplish. Once we lose sight of the vision, the whole mission falls apart.
Thirdly, we must accept the trials and difficulties of life’s journey. This is part of the pedagogy of life. When we look at the lives of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Moses, we see that they had to navigate their paths while facing numerous obstacles, setbacks, and challenges. Doing God’s will is never easy, nor is the path ever smooth. Yet it is through all the challenges and trials – through both mistakes and successes – that we learn and grow. Every leader will have his or her fair share of mistakes, wrong decisions, and missteps. But we must accept our human frailties. We can only do as much as we know. We are all limited – by resources, whether financial or human. That is why we walk by faith, not by sight. As St Paul reminds, “We know that in everything God works for good with those who love him, who are called according to his purpose.” (Rom 8:28)
Jesus shows us the way. He did not allow crises and failures to prevent Him from fulfilling His mission. He knew that the way to success and glory is through humble submission to God’s will, doing all we can, and leaving the rest to God. It is the way of suffering, humiliation and perseverance. It is the way of compassion and understanding. It is the way of encouragement and acceptance. Jesus comes to give us the assurance of God’s grace and mercy in our weakness. That is why He reminds us to carry the cross after Him. We are to drink the cup of suffering if we were to share in His victory (cf Mt 20:17-25). St Matthew cited the text from Isaiah about the way of the Suffering Servant. It is the way of humble service. “It shall not be so among you; but whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be your slave; even as the Son of man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Mt 20:26-28)
So, we too must follow Jesus in dying to self, and taking up our daily crosses. Such crosses arise from the struggles of daily life – looking after our children, dealing with office colleagues, managing our bosses and staff, or caring for our elderly, especially those who are homebound or suffering from dementia. These challenges can sometimes overwhelm us. Beyond the daily humdrum of family life, coping with stress in our work and projects, and – above all – human relationships can be so trying that we feel like giving up. When we consider the burdens we carry, we may wonder where we are headed. But this is where we need to remain firm and focused. We continue to walk each day with the Lord, surrendering all things to Him.
In times of discouragement, let us follow the way of the psalmist and recall the love and mercy of God. Indeed, whenever the Jews felt discouraged or hopeless, they remembered what the Lord had done for them during the Exodus. “O give thanks to the Lord for he is good. He remembered us in our distress. And he snatched us away from our foes. The first-born of the Egyptians he smote. He brought Israel out from their midst. Arm outstretched, with power in his hand. His love is everlasting!” Relying on His everlasting love and fidelity to His Covenant and promises, let us forge ahead in faith.
We might not see the complete fulfillment of God’s plan in our lifetime, just as the Fathers of Israel did not. But it will be realized in time to come. “These all died in faith, not having received what was promised, but having seen it and greeted it from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. For people who speak thus make it clear that they are seeking a homeland. If they had been thinking of that land from which they had gone out, they would have had opportunity to return. But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore, God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city” (Heb 11:13-16). Indeed, the fulfillment of God’s plan comes when we die and reach the heavenly city – the New Jerusalem. We are all on this journey of life until we reach the Promised Land in heaven.
Best Practices for Using the Daily Scripture Reflections
- Encounter God through the spirit of prayer and the scripture by reflecting and praying the Word of God daily. The purpose is to bring you to prayer and to a deeper union with the Lord on the level of the heart.
- Daily reflections when archived will lead many to accumulate all the reflections of the week and pray in one sitting. This will compromise your capacity to enter deeply into the Word of God, as the tendency is to read for knowledge rather than a prayerful reading of the Word for the purpose of developing a personal and affective relationship with the Lord.
- It is more important to pray deeply, not read widely. The current reflections of the day would be more than sufficient for anyone who wants to pray deeply and be led into an intimacy with the Lord.
Note: You may share this reflection with someone. However, please note that reflections are not archived online nor will they be available via email request.
Written by His Eminence, Cardinal William SC Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights Reserved.
No comments:
Post a Comment