There is something important about this first reading today that I feel God wants us to hear. You’re not alone. You don’t have to carry the burden yourself. When Moses stood up on the mountain with his hands raised, the people saw him there and were not only rallied by the sight, but scholars say that it was the stance of prayer at the time. The army was bolstered by knowing that this man of God was praying for them.
Then as the hours went by, Moses began to falter. We all know the intense difficulty that holding an object, even a light one, for hours can have on our bodies. We also know the weight we can feel when our responsibilities, our lives, and the welfare of those we love are in jeopardy. It can weigh us down. Make us begin to feel defeated. We know they need us, but we sometimes feel alone. Even in a crowded room. We can feel unnoticed.
Separated.
Isolated.
But then Aaron and Hur stepped in. They provide him first with comfort; they see to his physical needs. They find a rock for him to sit on. Then Aaron and Hur begin to lift Moses’ hands for him. They pray with him for the people. They rally the troops and look to God to provide victory over the burdens they are facing. This is why God has given us the Church and the Sacraments. A community that is supposed to step up when we feel we can no longer keep our hands lifted in prayer. A support system of grace that can flow to us through confession, the Eucharist, and our prayer life so that we, too, can be assured of victory over all those burdens that weigh us down.
It requires persistence.
Consistency. Moses didn’t just pray for a moment and go on about His day.
Instead, he prayed continuously for the situation. Jesus reminds us in the Gospel today that prayer is not a one-and-done thing. It’s an opportunity for growth in our relationship with God, and it requires us to come into conversation with Him again and again. Not because He is unaware of our situation but because when we are in love with one another, we want and cherish the moments we get to speak with our loved one.
Prayer is an opportunity for us to be a part of God’s plan, for grace to flow through us, to change the world around us, but maybe just as important to change our hearts. It helps us begin to see the world through His eyes and conform ourselves to His will.
It’s up to us to make our community a place where people feel welcomed and safe. Where they can feel the guiding hands of others lift them in prayer and help ease the burdens of this life. It begins with providing them with a rock to sit on. A place of rest, a foundation of faith. Today at the 10:00 Mass, we will be blessing Catechists. People who have devoted their time and talent to teach our children that that rock is Jesus Christ. But each of us in this room is a catechist. We are teachers. We teach our faith, maybe not from books or in a classroom, but through our words and actions. Our thoughts and deeds illuminate what is in our hearts and clearly show the world our relationship with Jesus Christ. You, as an individual, are a teacher, a disciple of Christ. Jesus reminds us today to examine our lives and ask: are we lifting up or tearing down? Providing rest or distress? Because the spiritual battle for the souls of our family, our friends, and our country is real. It’s being fought on the field before us in a very public way. Are we praying for that victory?
We are the church. It’s our job to take care of one another. To make sure no one is isolated or alone. Sometimes we can forget to reach out, to seek those who may be overlooked on the edges and in the dark. All it takes sometimes is a phone call, a smile, or a simple question: “how have you been?” Because we receive Jesus Christ Himself into our hearts at communion, we should be bursting forth with His love into the world to proclaim: You’re not alone.
A homily for the 29th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C: October 16th, 2022