Word to the Wise
Tuesday, August 11, 2015 - Tuesday in the 19th Week in Ordinary Time
[Deut 31:1-8 and Matt 18:1-5, 10, 12-14]When Moses had finished speaking to all Israel, he said to them, "I am now one hundred and twenty years old and am no longer able to move about freely; besides, the Lord has told me that I shall not cross this Jordan..." [Deuteronomy]
AUGUST 11 ST. CLARE, virgin, foundress of the Poor Clare Franciscan Nuns.
These words of Moses bring a smile and a frown. The smile is caused by his comment that at 120 years of age he can no longer move about freely! At 72, I am certainly not as spry as I once was! Jesus tells Peter in John 21:18 that when Peter grows old somebody else is going to dress him and lead him where he doesn't want to go! Aging does bring a lot of challenges. More and more time in doctors' offices, less and less time doing what one used to be able to do without a problem, etc. etc. = the older members of the Beloved Congregation know this all too well.
The frown is a recognition that so many things that seemed so attainable earlier are not going to happen. Moses can only see the Promised Land from afar. It would be his successor, Joshua, who would lead the people across the Jordan River. His wistful comment indicates some remorse for past mistakes that prevented him from this final satisfaction, but it seems to me that he did plenty enough for those whom he served. One becomes grateful for each additional day, let alone each additional year! He remains one of my favorite biblical figures. AMEN