Sixteenth Tuesday of Ordinary Time

Let us sing to the Lord; he has covered himself in glory. At the breath of your anger the waters piled up, the flowing waters stood like a mound, the flood waters congealed in the midst of the sea. The enemy boasted, “I will pursue and overtake them; I will divide the spoils and have my fill of them; I will draw my sword; my hand shall despoil them!” 

God does not do what He does just to cover Himself in glory. He performs miracles like the deliverance of the Israelites from slavery and the parting of the Red Sea because He is compassionate. He doesn’t strike down His enemies out of malice, but because they leave Him no choice. He does what is best for us as individuals and as His Chosen People. He shows us His power and might, not to impress us, but to impress upon us His Love and Mercy. Everything He does is to give us a model of thinking, speaking, and acting that will allow us to be the best reflections of His Divine Image that we can be. And if we trust in His Plan, then our enemies will never overtake us. Instead, they will be divided from us by a great chasm that cannot be crossed and despoiled in the abyss of Hell. So, let us have faith in God no matter what trials face us and allow Him to lead us to the Promised Land.

Do we recognize how compassionate God is toward us? Are we as compassionate with others? How can we model our lives on the example of our Heavenly Father, His Beloved Son, and the Holy Spirit?

O Lord, your compassion for us shall never be forgotten.

Amen.