Friday of the 15^th week in ordinary time

Ex. 11: 10-12:14      Mat. 12: 1-8

Theme: When I see the blood…

In the 1^st reading of today from the Book of Exodus, we see the extent God can go, for a good course. He mandated the Israelites to have the Passover meal, with blood on the doorposts and the lintel of the houses where they had their meal. The Lord was going to pass through the land of Egypt that night and he will strike all the first-born males of man and beast alike. Remember it got to this point now because the heart of Pharaoh is hardened, and he is not willing to let the Israelites leave Egypt. He is insisting on keeping them against their wish, and by so doing going against the command of God. This goes to show us that when we have God on our side, we have no need to be afraid, because he does not desert us but rather fight our battles for us, until victory is achieved. This is exactly the situation the Israelites have found themselves. It is a long walk to freedom, but the good news is that at the end of their difficulties, God will lead them to the promised land.

We have something to learn from the situation of the Israelites in the 1^st reading of today from the Book of Exodus. The fact that God was with them did not make their journey a smooth and stress free one. Rather their journey was a very challenging and difficult one, until God finally led them to the promised land. The situation the Israelites found themselves is the reality of our lives as humans. It was a worthy course, but for them to be able to accomplish the plans of God for them, they had to go through a lot of difficulties and challenges in the hands of the Egyptians, because they were not willing to freely let them go. They had to fight their way out of Egypt with the help of God. One of such difficulties is what we see in the 1^st reading of today. The Lord had to visit Egypt and inflict pain on the people, for them to set the Israelites free and allow them to leave.

This should be a source of strength for you as a child of God, when you encounter difficulties in your journey of faith, it does not mean that God has deserted you, it could mean that you are already on the path that will lead you to where God wants you to be at that time in your life. No matter the situation we find ourselves, let us learn to always trust in God and continue to do our best. May the Lord bless his words in our hearts, in the name of the father and of the son and of the holy spirit. Amen. Peace be with you.