Yesterday, as I rode in an Uber, after sharing part of his life story, my driver told me in college he’d had a class that talked about determinism vs. free will.
So, he said, Father which do you think it is…is everything predetermined or is everything open and up to our decisions?
Pretty good stuff for an Uber ride….
Conforming to God's Plan
I thought about this conversation as I read and prayed over today’s first reading, which includes Moses going up the mountain to receive the Ten Commandments from God and then returning to find that Aaron and the rest of the Israelites in Moses absence had created their own false god, to worship.
Every time that we pray the Our Father, we are saying to God “thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven” in those few words, we acknowledge that God has a plan for us and for all people…and secondly, that we are freely choosing to unite ourselves to God’s will for us.
Our Own Idols
Now we know from experience that at times, we can be like the Israelites, as soon as our Moses is out of sight and we’re in the “real world” that we can be tempted to fashion our own false gods.
Not likely collecting all our jewelry and candlestick holders to heat and form a golden calf, but more likely arranging our schedules, setting our priorities, and spending our money on things that though in some cases are good are put before our relationship with God or even at times get in the way of following God’s teachings.
Sacrificial Love
What is reassuring in this exchange between Moses and those who had chosen their way over God’s is that Moses after his righteous anger, shows a love for his people. He returns to God and pleads for His mercy upon the people, even offering to take on the punishment for their sins.
There is a foreshadowing of what Jesus will do for all of mankind in Moses sacrificial offer. And yet, we also see that Moses is not the Savior but a prophet and messenger of God.
God shows us that He is both just and merciful when He says, that only the one who has sinned against me will I strike out of my book…Now go and lead the people to the place I told you.”
“When it is time for me to punish, I will punish them for their sins.”
God Has a Plan
My brothers and sisters, the answer to my Uber driver-friend’s question is that God has a plan for all of us with a final destination of heaven. And at the same time, He has given us freedom to choose whether we’ll unite our lives to His will for us.
Every day, when we wake up, it is good to make a morning offering prayer, a conscious decision to give the day and all that it includes to God, including the beautiful adventure of following His plan for our salvation…giving thanks for a Savior and the people that remind us of His loving presence every day.
- Father David's inspirational homily was recorded live during Mass at the Father Peyton Center this morning. You can view the Mass (and the Rosary at the 30-minute mark) on the Family Rosary YouTube page.
- To join the Rosary and Mass Livestream, visit the Family Rosary YouTube or Facebook page at 11:30 a.m. Eastern, Monday–Friday. Consider inviting others to join, too! (*If you are not a member of Facebook and a signup window appears, select the X at the top of the pop-up message and continue to the livestream.)
