« There was a baby boy, crying! » –see Exodus 2:6
From yesterday and today’s reading (Monday and Tuesday of the 15th week in the Ordinary Time), Pharaoh tried to decimate the chosen people by commanding « all his subjects: ‘Throw into the river every boy that is born to the Hebrews’ » (Ex 1:22).The story of young Moses presents him following an unexpected and unconventional path that will eventually brong him to a leadership role in the Hebrew community- doomed as a Hebrew infant, rescued from the Nile and unknowingly returned to his mother by the Pharaoh’s daughter who adopts him, and finally falling from grace for a violent action.
We could think these are stories of long time ago. When we support the elimination of babies by abortion and contraception, we say to these « unwanted » members of Jesus’ body, « I do not need you » (1 Cor 12:21). Can we even call ourselves Christians if we have so much
disdain for Jesus’ Body that we don’t care if millions of members of His Body are murdered or never given a chance to exist? Can we call ourselves Christians if we have so little regard for Christ’s Body that we don’t mind if His Body is weakened, disfigured, or paralyzed by the absence of many millions of members worldwide?
Powerful, well-financed organizations reach into every corner of the globe to advance the spread of abortion and contraception. If, as St. Teresa of Avila says, Jesus has no hands but ours and no feet but ours, then His Body on earth is being more and more crippled with the elimination of each child that would have strengthened His Body. We are to honor all members of His Body, but the weakest and smallest we must honor with even greater care (1 Cor 12:22-24). Satan is trying to decimate the Christian people by commanding us to contracept and not have children or, if this fails, to kill our children through chemical and surgical abortions. If we obey Satan’s commands, we will perpetuate and extend our culture of death. But if we, like Moses’ mother, rebel and choose life, we will see the Lord raise our culture from the dead. Nowadays, most people don’t recognize Satan’s attempts to impose his will on us. Satan disguises the fact that he seeks nothing less than a totalitarian dictatorship. He likes to let his pawns think that they are doing their own thing. It is amusing to him when his slaves pretend they are free.
Let’s think a little bit positive. Let us deal not only about the despair and hateful behaviors; instead, let us focus on the good, the people who risked it all to make a difference in spite of the seemingly impossible odds of the situation. So, I want us to think about, the good we have around us now and in the past especially in the midst of such situations. Although there is an order to kill all the male children, we know what comes next. Jochebed (or Yocheved), the mother of Moses, dares to save her son. She places him in the water-proofed papyrus reed basket and sets him adrift in the river. When the Pharaoh’s daughter sees him, she clearly recognizes him as a Hebrew baby but doesn’t alert her father to say here’s another to kill. Instead, she shows mercy and saves him. The boldness of his sister Miriam to come forward and offer to find a Hebrew woman to nurse him is extraordinary. Thus, it is the “conspiracy” of three incredible women that saves a baby and a people despite the horror of the times! We can do the same, we don’t have to focus on our weaknesses, in front of the powerful lobbies of death. These three women were not more powerful than Pharaoh, but God empowered them and they saved Moses’ life, they saved the chosen people of Israel.
The Church champions the Body of Christ in her teaching. However, far too many disobey the teachings of the Church. They are pro-choice; they choose to please their own bodies. It doesn’t bother them that Jesus’ Body is broken as long as their own body doesn’t suffer. Catholics, repent of disfiguring the Body of Christ instead of building it up. Christians, oppose abortion and contraception. Jesus asks you, »Do you love My body? » (see Jn 21:15) How will you answer Him today? How will you answer Him on Judgment Day?
Therefore, « choose life » (Dt 30:19), and rebel against the tyranny of the prince of death (see Heb 2:14). Choose Jesus, « the Way, and the Truth, and the Life » (Jn 14:6). Reject sin and its deadly wages (Rm 6:23). Don’t let yourself be used and abused by our culture of death. Join the exodus of God’s people from death, sin, and damnation into life eternal.
Father, may we accept fully the abundant life given to us through your Son’s death (see Jn 10:10)
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