Good morning, good people. May the Lord give you peace and health in the Holy Spirit.  

It is 14th March 2024.  We reflect on Exodus 32:7-14 and John 5:31-47. 

What is the molten image or relationship we value more than God? 

When we forget the identity of God in our lives, we begin to identify ourselves with idols so easily. 

God has no problem in loving us. 

It is we who have the challenges to love God as we begin to live among the people who do not share our beliefs and faith. 

God wants to connect with us through people and events regularly. Yet we slip away and sneak out of the presence of God and create our own gods to smoothen our ego and pride.  We create our gods of escape and relief once we identify ourselves with a false image of God.  Just like the people of Israel in the first reading, we too are creating our own molten images of freedom, liberty and choices contrary to the love of God while the Church invites us to assemble under the foot of the mountain of God. 

Even during the time of Lent, we find it difficult to destroy and disconnect from the molten images we have created for our sinful resort. We prefer not to hear the call of God through the Church once we worship false images, relationships, and idols of our making. 

Moses interceded for the people and pleaded with God to show mercy to the people of Israel who worshiped false images and tried to replace the one who brought them out of slavery.  Are we doing the same? Lent is the time to recognize our molten calves and destroy them for good. 

Who is there to intercede for you in your life? 

It is indeed time to return to the Lord. 

The Gospel reminds us to have the correct identity of Jesus. When we fail to identify Jesus as the One who came from the Father, we will surely have difficulty in following His Words of life eternal.  Truth does not require testimony to stand its ground. Truth stands for itself.  Truth testifies its worth in its actions.  Jesus is the Truth yet for those who have experienced the Eternal Truth, Jesus cannot be a silent spectator. 

Have we moved away from the Truth and worship images of lies? Are we looking for cheap approval and compliments from one another to hide our sinfulness? 

The “do not touch me and in turn, I do not touch you” attitude makes us worship false petty gods which are molten images that we identify with leading us to not recognize the identity of the Lord in our lives.

.May you have a good day.

May God bless you.

Fr. Peter Fernando, OFMCap.
Director, Office of Family Ministry, Apostolic Vicariate of Southern Arabia (AVOSA).Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.♣Website:https://reflectionsofpeter.org/.♣Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/samarpet