No Resolutions Here; Just Sincere Wishes
This space includes no resolutions – only the sincere wish God provided in the Old Testament.
“A reading from the Book of Numbers,” the lector said as she began the first reading for the 10:30 a.m. Mass at St. Benedict Cathedral Parish on Jan. 1. I could have looked at the day’s readings in advance; often, I do.
But not that day.
So the smile that spread across my face as I heard “Book of Numbers” was spontaneous – founded in my belief that the words I was about to hear constitute one of my favorite biblical passages. The full first reading was Numbers 6: 22-27. God tells Moses to speak to Aaron and his sons, and provide them this blessing to bestow on the Israelites:
“The LORD bless you and keep you!The LORD let his face shine uponyou, and be gracious to you!The LORD look upon you kindly andgive you peace!” (Numbers 6:24-26).
As Bishop Thompson noted in welcoming those who attended 10:30 Mass that morning, Jan. 1 marked the 50th anniversary of our Church’s celebration of World Day of Peace. As a result, there probably is no better passage to include in the day’s readings. From here, however, I believe that last statement would be true if there had never been a formal World Day of Peace proclaimed by the Church.
Think about it – Jan. 1; New Year’s Day. What better wish to offer anyone – and everyone – on the first day of a new calendar year.
“The LORD bless you and keep you.”
This wish includes the suggestion that God, not we, are in control of our lives and has the perfect plans for all of us. All we have to do is believe, and He will bless and keep us.
“The LORD let his face shine upon you and be gracious to you.”
For me, this portion of the blessing has encouraged me to pay attention to events in my life and think about how God’s plan for me has unfolded – and continues to unfold. If we surrender to God’s plan instead of obstinately clinging to our own, we will be able to see that easily.
“The LORD look upon you kindly and give you peace.”
Of course, this last part of the blessing relates intimately to the first two. When we recognize that God has control of our lives, and when we consciously surrender to His plan for our lives, the peace we will feel can lead to no other conclusion that God is looking upon us kindly.
None of this is to suggest that we won’t face struggles and challenges. From here, all of us can expect some in 2017 and beyond.
But note at what Numbers 6:24-26 does NOT tell us. Nowhere in that passage is the suggestion that our lives will be perfect, even with God in control. As Benedictine Father Godfrey Mullen said in the homily of the Jan. 1 Mass I attended at the Cathedral, “…how easily we will miss the King of Kings, how easily we will ignore the Prince of Peace if we wait for the perfect to dawn upon us each day. And the longer we wait for perfection, the more we will miss the presence that we celebrate in the church today.”
I wish, hope and pray that you all experience God’s blessings from Numbers 6:24-26 today and every day.
