Moses Standing in the Breach

But Moses implored the LORD his God, and said, “O LORD, why does your wrath burn hot against your people, whom you brought out of the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand? Why should the Egyptians say, ‘It was with evil intent that he brought them out to kill them in the mountains, and to consume them from the face of the earth’? Turn from your fierce wrath; change your mind and do not bring disaster on your people. (Exodus 32: 11-12)

Sandro Magister published a reflection/commentary by a Florentine theologian that, among other things, articulates an aspect of the frustration I, as well, feel these days in what amounts to a leadership vacuum, pointing certainly to the lack of a spirit of prayer in the lives of a goodly number of our priests and bishops. I think that prayerfulness after the manner of Jesus Christ, in the face of the present suspension of public worship and the administration of the sacraments, would fill us all with deadly anguish over the consequences, yes, of our sins, but moreover also of the lukewarmness which characterizes our living. 

Granted, Moses may not have shared with Israel worshiping the golden calf the details of this his exchange with God on behalf of a sinful people, but upon his descent from Sinai, he did read them the riot act, smashing the tablets of the law on the base of the mountain. We, in our day, tend to be convinced that scolding is counterproductive, but I guess I would like to point out that the best of what I have seen, during this quarantine, in online video from priests to their parishioners has been their teaching about what constitutes perfect contrition, how you make an act of spiritual communion, and the preparations given for going to confession in an open albeit discreet environment, respecting social distance. To say it negatively, what I am missing in these videos are the urgent admonitions to conversion of life, to turning away from sin with all your heart, soul, mind and strength.

In a sense, what I am saying is that I think priests are wasting their time video streaming their private masses, when EWTN and many others have very professional TV Masses or online Masses out there at various and convenient times. What is missing for people at home is what has been missing generally in the post-conciliar Church: good solid catechesis, especially regarding the Last Things and what constitutes sanctity of life and true sorrow and repentance for sins committed. Not enough is being said about the role of private prayer in the lives of all the baptized.

As I say, I think the problem is priests themselves who, different from Moses before God, fail to comprehend the deadly earnest of the consequences of living in sin and not renouncing sin and Satan. Think about it! Pray about it!

Be assured of my prayers and supplications before not a wrathful Lord, but a just Judge, Who in His great Love, calls us through His ministers to turn away from sin and be faithful to the Gospel. I wish you a blessed Lent of true sorrow for sin and conversion of life!

PROPERANTES ADVENTUM DIEI DEI