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The Twenty-fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C)

Today, we read from the Book of Exodus, which tells of a conversation God had with Moses just after Israel committed the grave sin of idolatry. To be specific, Israel created a golden calf and worshipped it. Why? They had just been delivered from Egypt, and Egyptians worshiped cattle as gods much like Hindus do today. The Israelites had become entrenched in Egypt’s idolatry during the 430 years they lived there.

God began to speak to Moses as if he wanted nothing to do with Israel: “Go down at once to your people whom you brought out of the land of Egypt … Let me alone, then, that my wrath may blaze up against them to consume them. Then, I will make of you a great nation” (Exodus 32:7,10). This sounds like one parent saying to the other: “Your child is so unruly!”

If I were Moses, I would have said, “Sounds great! Let’s get started with this new People of Moses thing.” Instead, Moses acted as a selfless mediator for Israel. He reminded God of just who Israel belonged to and who it was that brought Israel out of Egypt: “Why, O LORD, should your wrath blaze up against your own people, whom you brought out of the land of Egypt?”

Moses then pinned God in a corner by reminding him of his covenant with Israel, to multiply them and give them the Promised Land. Surely God couldn’t go against his immutable promise. “So the Lord relented in the punishment he had threatened to inflict on his people” (v. 14). Did God really need to be reminded of his prior covenant? Did Moses really corner God? Or, was the LORD teaching Moses an important lesson?

Moses was led to decide between his own glory and the good of his kinsmen. God taught him how to be a selfless mediator. He was led to the important truth that God is always faithful to his promises. In his merciful foreknowledge, God entered into a covenant long ago with Israel, which eventually saved Israel from its own destruction.

As the New Moses, Jesus serves as the ultimate mediator on our behalf before the throne of God. The New Covenant, made in the blood of Jesus, saves us from our eternal destruction. “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners” (1 Timothy 1:15).

The Church’s mission is the same mission of Jesus extended through time: to save sinners. So let us imitate Jesus who in today’s Gospel is found among sinners so as to save them, to bring them into the fold of the flock. If we don’t leave our comfortable cliques to get to personally know and invite sinners to salvation in Christ Jesus, who will? Being Catholic is not a private privilege we keep to ourselves. Rather, it’s an invaluable gift that is to be shared liberally!