Massah and Mer'ibah (March 27)

Paraphrasing the Israelite's plea: "Why did you make us leave?" would probably capture what many of us are thinking and feeling when we step off the "mountain" [see last Sunday's reflection about the Transfiguration].  When we are so close to God in the Mass, in Adoration, or some other quite place where we meet Him, it is easier to hear Him and want to follow His Will--even if it sounds hard. There in His presence, it sounds do-able and in that intimacy, we can feel Him empowering and strengthening us. It is when we leave the mountain that we find ourselves in our own little place(s) of Massah and Mer'ibah. We cry out "why did you make us leave?" We can't hear God speaking to us clearly and, like the Israelites, we wonder "is the Lord among us or not?" We want to do His will but how can we if we cannot go to the mountain to hear or see Him?

Not all of us can go to our "mountain" daily. The Mass, Adoration, and those long, quite spells with God may not be able to fit daily into our naturally busy lives of family, school, work--all essential parts of our lives--but God knows this, and like the Israelites, He is with us. We may not be able to go to the mountain like we want to, but we can still go to the smaller version of the mountain: the rock. Maybe your "rock" is quick prayers throughout the day, maybe it is a few minutes of quiet prayer before your day begins. Just remember, God gave us a "mountain" like He gave Peter, James, and John, but don't forget, to the Israelites, He gave a rock, and from it flowed life-giving water...and for that day, it was enough.