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General Theme: Means of perseverance General Objective: To grow in our relationship with God through prayer Objective of the week: To reflect on the prayer of Moses INTRODUCTION This week, as we continue to deepen our prayer, Moses could be our teacher through the book of Exodus. Pope Francis in the catechesis about the prayer of Moses (June 17,2020) explained to us how Moses prays. He says: “Thus, the manner of prayer most proper to Moses is through intercession (cf. Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2574). His faith in God is completely at one with the sense of fatherhood he feels toward his people. Scripture habitually portrays him with his hands outstretched toward God, as if to form with his own person a bridge between heaven and earth. Even in the most difficult moments, Moses does not feel inclined to set his people aside. They are my people. He does not reject God nor his people. Both of them, the people and God, and he is in the middle. He does not sell out his people to advance his career. He does not climb the ladder; he is an intercessor: for his people, for his flesh and blood, for his history, for his people and for the God who called him. He is the bridge. What a beautiful example for all pastors who must be ‘bridges´. This is why they are called pontifex, bridges. Pastors are the bridges between the people they belong to, and God, to whom they belong by vocation. This is what Moses is: “Lord, forgive their sin, and if you do not forgive, blot me from the book you have written. I do not want to advance at the expense of my people.” And this is the prayer that true believers cultivate in their spiritual life. Even if they experience people’s shortcomings and their distance from God, these prayerful people do not condemn them, they do not reject them. The intercessory attitude is proper to the saints who, in imitation of Jesus, are ‘bridges’ between God and his people. Moses, in this sense, was the first great prophet of Jesus, our advocate and intercessor (cf. Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2577). And today, too, Jesus is the pontifex; he is the bridge between us and the Father. And Moses is the figure of Jesus who today prays for us, intercedes for us. Moses urges us to pray with the same ardour of Jesus, to intercede for the world, to remember that despite all its frailties, it still belongs to God. Everyone belongs to God. The worst sinners, the most wicked people, the most corrupt leaders, are children of God, and Jesus feels this and intercedes for everyone. And the world lives and flourishes to the blessing of the righteous, to the prayer for mercy, this prayer for mercy that the holy, the righteous, the intercessor, the priest, the bishop, the Pope, the layperson, any baptized person unceasingly raises up for humanity, in every place and time in history. Let us think of Moses, the intercessor. And when we want to condemn someone and we become angry inside — getting angry can do good, but condemning does no good – let us intercede for him or her; this will help us a lot.” MONDAY “The Urgent Call of God... For Greater Things in Life” Exodus 3:1-12 Now Moses was tending the flock of Jethro, his father-in-law, the priest of Midian, and he led the flock to the far side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in flames of fire from within a bush. Moses saw that though the bush was on fire it did not burn up. So Moses thought, “I will go over and see this strange sight—why the bush does not burn up.” When the Lord saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush, “Moses! Moses!” And Moses said, “Here I am.” “Do not come any closer,” God said. “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.” Then he said, “I am the God of your father,[a] the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob.” At this, Moses hid his face, because he was afraid to look at God. The Lord said, “I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers, and I am concerned about their suffering. So I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land into a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey—the home of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites. And now the cry of the Israelites has reached me, and I have seen the way the Egyptians are oppressing them. So now, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt.” But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?” And God said, “I will be with you. And this will be the sign to you that it is I who have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you[b] will worship God on this mountain.” Luke 5:27-32 After this, Jesus went out and saw a tax collector by the name of Levi sitting at his tax booth. “Follow me,” Jesus said to him, and Levi got up, left everything and followed him. Then Levi held a great banquet for Jesus at his house, and a large crowd of tax collectors and others were eating with them. But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law who belonged to their sect complained to his disciples, “Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?” Jesus answered them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” We are the Moses of this present time. We are in the desert of our present realities: struggles, difficulties, sinfulness, shortcomings, and limitations. But in the midst of these, "God calls" us.He also calls us in the middle of our daily routines. Like the call of Jesus to Levi. God calls us for something greater for our lives. Especially as VD disciples . For God wants us to be truly happy on something greater that comes from Him. How wonderful if we can recognize the "trust" of God in our lives. To become "bridges" and "intercessors" in order for the people around us can encounter the saving power of God in their lives.
TUESDAY “God fills in our inadequacy” Exodus 15:1-18 ' Then Moses and the Israelites sang this song to the LORD : “I will sing to the LORD , because he has won a glorious victory; he has thrown the horses and their riders into the sea. The LORD is my strong defender; he is the one who has saved me. He is my God, and I will praise him, my father's God, and I will sing about his greatness. The LORD is a warrior; the LORD is his name. “He threw Egypt's army and its chariots into the sea; the best of its officers were drowned in the Red Sea. The deep sea covered them; they sank to the bottom like a stone. In majestic triumph you overthrow your foes; your anger blazes out and burns them up like straw. “Your right hand, LORD , is awesome in power; it breaks the enemy in pieces. You blew on the sea and the water piled up high; it stood up straight like a wall; the deepest part of the sea became solid. The enemy said, ‘I will pursue them and catch them; I will divide their wealth and take all I want; I will draw my sword and take all they have.’ But one breath from you, LORD , and the Egyptians were drowned; they sank like lead in the terrible water. “ LORD , who among the gods is like you? Who is like you, wonderful in holiness? Who can work miracles and mighty acts like yours? You stretched out your right hand, and the earth swallowed our enemies. Faithful to your promise, you led the people you had rescued; by your strength you guided them to your sacred land. The nations have heard, and they tremble with fear; the Philistines are seized with terror. The leaders of Edom are terrified; Moab's mighty men are trembling; the people of Canaan lose their courage. Terror and dread fall upon them. They see your strength, O LORD , and stand helpless with fear until your people have marched past — the people you set free from slavery. You bring them in and plant them on your mountain, the place that you, LORD , have chosen for your home, the Temple that you yourself have built. You, LORD , will be king for ever and ever.” ' Luke 1:67-80 'John's father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit, and he spoke God's message: “Let us praise the Lord, the God of Israel! He has come to the help of his people and has set them free. He has provided for us a mighty Saviour, a descendant of his servant David. He promised through his holy prophets long ago that he would save us from our enemies, from the power of all those who hate us. He said he would show mercy to our ancestors and remember his sacred covenant. With a solemn oath to our ancestor Abraham he promised to rescue us from our enemies and allow us to serve him without fear, With a solemn oath to our ancestor Abraham he promised to rescue us from our enemies and allow us to serve him without fear, so that we might be holy and righteous before him all the days of our life. “You, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High God. You will go ahead of the Lord to prepare his road for him, to tell his people that they will be saved by having their sins forgiven. Our God is merciful and tender. He will cause the bright dawn of salvation to rise on us and to shine from heaven on all those who live in the dark shadow of death, to guide our steps into the path of peace.” The child grew and developed in body and spirit. He lived in the desert until the day when he appeared publicly to the people of Israel.' The Lord called Moses to guide His people from the hands of the Egyptians who were oppressing them. He showed him His marvelous deeds when He was liberating them. Moses and Zechariah glorified God because they witnessed God's saving power. We are like Moses and Zecchariah who have many inadequacies for the task of serving the Lord when we look at our limitations, but let us continually listen to Him and fix our eyes on Him and we can let go of our limitations and He can act in us.
WEDNESDAY “Plead to God for our transgressions and that of our neighbors” Exodus 32:1-14 When the people saw that Moses was so long in coming down from the mountain, they gathered around Aaron and said, “Come, make us gods[a] who will go before us. As for this fellow Moses who brought us up out of Egypt, we don’t know what has happened to him.” Aaron answered them, “Take off the gold earrings that your wives, your sons and your daughters are wearing, and bring them to me.” So all the people took off their earrings and brought them to Aaron. He took what they handed him and made it into an idol cast in the shape of a calf, fashioning it with a tool. Then they said, “These are your gods,[b] Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt.” When Aaron saw this, he built an altar in front of the calf and announced, “Tomorrow there will be a festival to the Lord.” So the next day the people rose early and sacrificed burnt offerings and presented fellowship offerings. Afterward they sat down to eat and drink and got up to indulge in revelry. Then the Lord said to Moses, “Go down, because your people, whom you brought up out of Egypt, have become corrupt. They have been quick to turn away from what I commanded them and have made themselves an idol cast in the shape of a calf. They have bowed down to it and sacrificed to it and have said, ‘These are your gods, Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt.’ “I have seen these people,” the Lord said to Moses, “and they are a stiff-necked people. Now leave me alone so that my anger may burn against them and that I may destroy them. Then I will make you into a great nation.” But Moses sought the favor of the Lord his God. “Lord,” he said, “why should your anger burn against your people, whom you brought out of Egypt with great power and a mighty hand? Why should the Egyptians say, ‘It was with evil intent that he brought them out, to kill them in the mountains and to wipe them off the face of the earth’? Turn from your fierce anger; relent and do not bring disaster on your people. Remember your servants Abraham, Isaac and Israel, to whom you swore by your own self: ‘I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and I will give your descendants all this land I promised them, and it will be their inheritance forever.’” Then the Lord relented and did not bring on his people the disaster he had threatened. John 17: 9-11, 20 I pray for them. I am not praying for the world, but for those you have given me, for they are yours. All I have is yours, and all you have is mine. And glory has come to me through them. I will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them by the power of[a] your name, the name you gave me, so that they may be one as we are one. “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message. Our prayer is affecting us inwardly and will always invoke us to do what is right and what is good in truth and justice. In Genesis, Moses pleaded to God for His mercy to forgive His people Israel from their stubborness and misconduct. Jesus, in the Gospel of John, prays and pleads to the father for the unity and the will of his disciples to choose what is eternal. The commonality of the prayer of Moses and Jesus is to pray for the people God entrusted to them, be patient with them, be quick to forgive them, and guide them to what is eternal.
THURSDAY “Prayer: a meeting with God” Exodus 33: 7-11 7 Moses used to pitch a tent outside the camp at some distance. It was called the tent of meeting. Anyone who wished to consult the Lord would go to the tent of meeting outside the camp. 8 Whenever Moses went out to the tent, the people would all rise and stand at the entrance of their own tents, watching Moses until he entered the tent. 9 As Moses entered the tent, the column of cloud would come down and stand at its entrance while the Lord spoke with Moses. 10 On seeing the column of cloud stand at the entrance of the tent, all the people would rise and bow down at the entrance of their own tents. 11 The Lord used to speak to Moses face to face, as a person speaks to a friend. Moses would then return to the camp, but his young assistant, Joshua, son of Nun, never left the tent. Luke 10:38-42 38 As they continued their journey he entered a village where a woman whose name was Martha welcomed him. 39 She had a sister named Mary who sat beside the Lord at his feet listening to him speak. 40 Martha, burdened with much serving, came to him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me by myself to do the serving? Tell her to help me.” 41 The Lord said to her in reply, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and worried about many things. 42 There is a need for only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part and it will not be taken from her.” To spend time with God is a choice that we are given over the many choices that we can take in an hour, day or week. Moses dedicated a place and a time to meet with God, just as Mary has chosen to remain at side of Jesus to listen to Him.Through prayer we build our relationship with God.
FRIDAY Constant Prayer, in season and out of season Numbers 11: 4-6, 10-18 Now the rabble among them fell victim to their desires again, and the people of Israel said, “Who will give us meat to eat? 5 We remember the fish we ate freely in Egypt, along with the cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, the onions, and the garlic. 6 But now our strength is fading away, all we ever see is this manna.” 10 Moses heard the people weeping, each family at the entrance to their tent. The Lord became exceedingly angry, and Moses was greatly displeased. 11 Moses said to the Lord, “Why are you torturing your servant? Have I not found favor in your sight, that you would burden me with this whole people? 12 Did I conceive this entire people? Did I give birth to them that you should say to me, ‘Carry them in your arms like a nurse carries a small child to the land that I have promised to their ancestors?’ 13 Where can I get enough meat to give to all this people, for they cry to me saying, ‘Give us meat to eat!’ 14 I cannot carry this entire people by myself; they are too burdensome for me. 15 If this is the way that you are going to treat me, and if I have found favor in your sight, then please put me to death right now so I do not have to keep looking upon my misery.” 16 But the Lord said to Moses, “Bring me seventy men from among the elders of Israel whom you know to be elders and leaders of the people. Bring them to the tent of meeting, and have them stand there with yourself. 17 I will come down and speak to you there. I will take some of the Spirit that is upon you and put it upon them. They will carry the burden of the people with you, so that you do not have to carry it alone. 18 Say to the people, ‘Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow you will eat meat. You cried out in the hearing of the Lord, saying, “Who will give us meat to eat? We were better off when we were in Egypt.” Now the Lord will give you meat, and you will eat it. 2 Corinthians 1:3-7 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercy and the God of all consolation. He consoles us in all our afflictions and thereby enables us to console others in their tribulations, offering them the consolation with which we ourselves are consoled by God. For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so too, through Christ, do we receive our consolation. If we are being afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation. If we are being consoled, it is to help us to console you and give you the patience and the strength to endure the same sufferings that we endure. Our hope for you is unshaken, because we know that as you share in the sufferings, you also share in the consolations. As Verbum Dei missionary disciples, we are invited by God to be in constant dialogue with Him, in good times and more so in bad times-like in moments when we feel discouraged or disappointed like Moses. Accompanying people, bringing them to know and love God, can be a challenging mission. But God revealed to us through the experience of Moses, that He journeys with us, and He will address our difficulties with His mighty hand. We just need to express what is in our heart, to speak to God face to face like Moses did. St. Paul assures us further, that our God is a God of consolation who consoles us in our afflictions, thus, we in turn, can console the afflicted.
PRAYER FOR THE CONGRESS To be held in Loeches, Spain from August 30 – September 27, 2024 “Communion, Consecration and Participation in the Mission" Father, you who create and sustain all things with your love, we ask you to make us artisans of communion, so that as we journey towards the Congress we may know how to welcome the diversity that characterises us as the Verbum Dei Missionary Family.
Jesus, human face of God, consecrate us to your Word so that the Congress may be prepared and carried out in profound fidelity to your voice, listening to each one of us and to the signs of the times. Holy Spirit, you who open rivers in the desert, guide us in this time of discernment and decision, so that we may live, embody and offer our charism ever more fully, so that all the baptised may participate in the mission of Jesus entrusted to the Church. Accompany us, Mary, with your loving motherly presence and intercession, so that this Congress may be a channel of hope in which God transforms us and makes all things new. Amen.
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About the Guidelines SheetThe Guidelines sheet is a prayer guide with the Word of God to help us journey together and be one in our weekly prayer as one community. This contains daily passages from scriptures together with reflections focused on a common theme and intention for the week. Archives
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