Jesus: The New Moses

In last Sunday’s First Reading we read how Charlton Heston Moses said that another prophet would come after him. This promise reaches its ultimate fulfillment in Jesus. This is why Jesus is often referred to as “The New Moses”.

Below are a list of similarities between Jesus and Moses which I recently added to my commentary on last Sunday’s Readings:

1. Pharaoh killed all the the male Hebrew babies, but Moses was saved (Exodus 1:22; 2:1-2).
Herod killed all the male babies in and around Bethlehem, but Jesus escaped (Matthew 2:16-18).

2. Moses fled from Egypt, but later returned (Exodus 2:15; 4:18)
Jesus fled to Egypt and later returned to Israel (Matthew 2:13-23)

3. Moses went up the mountain to receive the Law (Exodus 24:1-3)
Jesus delivered the New Law at the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:1-3)

4. Moses was the mediator of the Old Covenant through the blood of young bulls (Exodus 24:8)
Jesus is the mediator of the New Covenant through His own blood (Matthew 26:28)

5. Moses did not eat or drink for forty days and forty nights (Exodus 34:28)
Jesus also fasted while being tempted in the desert (Matthew 4:2)

6. Moses delivers the first five books of the Bible (Genesis – Deuteronomy)
In Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus gives five extended sermons (Matthew 5-710131824-25)

7. Moses lifted up the bronze snake in the wilderness (Numbers 21:9)
Jesus said that, in a similar way, He Himself would be “lifted up” (John 3:14).

…do it anyway

Mother Teresa

People are often unreasonable, irrational, and self-centered.
Forgive them anyway.

If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives.
Be kind anyway.

If you are successful, you will win some unfaithful friends and some genuine enemies.
Succeed anyway.

If you are honest and sincere people may deceive you.
Be honest and sincere anyway.

What you spend years creating, others could destroy overnight.
Create anyway.

If you find serenity and happiness, some may be jealous.
Be happy anyway.

The good you do today, will often be forgotten.
Do good anyway.

Give the best you have, and it will never be enough.
Give your best anyway.

In the final analysis, it is between you and God.
It was never between you and them anyway.

– Blessed Mother Teresa

March For Life 2011

It’s been quite amazing how quiet the media has been concerning the recent March For Life in DC, given that approximately 200,000 were in attendance:

Below is the video of someone I’ve mentioned before on this blog, Msgr. Pope, who gave the homily at the Mass that day in the Verizon Centre:

I think I’m going to try and make it to this next year…

“Any country that accepts abortion, is not teaching its people to love, but to use any violence to get what it wants” – Blessed Mother Teresa

A *truly* extraordinary Minister!

St TarcisiusSince in JP2 we’ve been studying early Christian worship, we’ve been talking a lot about the Eucharist. A story which illustrates the importance of the Eucharist to the Early Church is that of St. Tarsicius.

St. Tarsicius was an acolyte (one of the minor orders of clergy) who was killed by a gang of pagans as he carried a portion of the Eucharist from the Eucharistic liturgy.

It is quite likely that he was taking Holy Communion to someone sick or in prison. At that time it was also the practice for some of the consecrated bread to be taken from the bishop’s Mass to the other Masses around the city as a sign of unity with the bishop.

Here is how Tarsicius’ story is recorded in the Roman Martyrology:

“…the heathen met [him] bearing the sacrament of the Body of Christ and asked him what it was he carried. He judged it a shameful thing to cast pearls before swine, and so was attacked by them for a long time with sticks and stones, until he gave up the ghost. When they turned over his body, the sacrilegious assailants could find no trace of Christ’s sacrament, either in his hands or among his clothing.”
– Roman Martyrology

The Eucharist – a meal worth dying for…

Sunday Lectionary: Oh that today you would listen to His voice…

4th Sunday in Ordinary Time: 29th January, 2012

Jesus TeachingIn our First Reading, Moses promises that a prophet will come after him, someone who will guide Israel. In the light of the New Testament, we recognize this person to be Jesus Christ who, in this Sunday’s Gospel Reading, not only teaches with authority, but demonstrates that authority by casting out an unclean spirit.

The psalmist in this Sunday’s psalm sings Oh, that today you would hear his voice…harden not your hearts”That is our invitation this Sunday. We are invited to come and listen to the voice of the Lord. The word of God is powerful indeed. If we come to the Scriptures with open hearts they have the power to transform our lives….

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