Monday July 17, 2023
Theme: “Age: a factor of engagement or disengagement in the work of God” Text: Numbers 30:1-5
1. (30:2) Moses spoke to the chiefs of the tribes of the children of Israel, and said, This is what the LORD commands. 2. (30:3) When a man makes a vow to the Lord, or an oath to bind himself by a covenant, he shall not break his word, he shall act according to whatever came out of his mouth. 3. (30:4) When a woman, in her youth and at her father's house, makes a vow to the Lord and binds herself by covenant, 4. (30:5) and her father shall know of the vow she made and the covenant by which she bound herself, - if her father keeps silence towards her, every vow she has made will be valid, and every covenant by which she has bound herself will be valid; 5. (30:6) but if her father disapproves of her the day he learns of it, all her vows and all the covenants by which she has bound herself shall have no value; and the LORD will forgive her, because she was disapproved of by her father.
Let's remember:
Each father must keep his authority over his offspring, especially when the children still live under his roof. It is the responsibility of a father to ensure the maturity of his child before leaving him to go it alone. At a young age coupled with immaturity, the child can make serious erroneous choices that could cost him dearly and sometimes even lose his life, in the worst case. A protective father watches over the age of his child without muzzling his private rights. In priestly work too, it is necessary to bring together all the cognitive and spiritual faculties before committing to a decision that can jeopardize many unstrengthened flocks. The Holy Spirit often fills us in our shortcomings but let's not exaggerate about age because adolescence can truncate certain choices. The case of Samuel is very evocative because in his adolescence he had to be initiated to discern the voice of God from that of Eli the priest. Had it not been for Eli's maturity, Samuel would have failed to enter the priesthood. At a young age, some reflexes are very weak or almost non-existent. Commitment to the priesthood requires age-related requirements that must be examined before any authorization to exercise the sacred function of servant of God. Conversely, age is still not a factor of engagement or disengagement in the work of God, following the example of the two sons of Eli the priest, Hophni and Phinehas, themselves priests of the Lord who insulted the daughters they were in charge of shepherding. While their age played in their favor, they saw fit to vilify the priesthood in defiance of the laws and regulations related to the divine priesthood. May age not deprive us of wisdom and the ability to let the Holy Spirit act. Excellent Monday. Amen Alain Louz.-
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