Daily Retreat 08/05/09
2009 Aug 5 Wed:Ordinary Weekday/ Dedication of the Basilica of Saint Mary Major in Rome
Nm 13:1-2. 25 – 14:1. 26a-29a. 34-35/ Ps 105(106):6-7ab. 13-14. 21-22. 23/ Mt 15:21-28
From today’s readings: “Send men to reconnoiter the land of Canaan, which I am giving the children of Israel.... Remember us, O Lord, as You favor Your people.... O woman, great is your faith! ”
The Voice of the People and the Voice of God
Those of us with the fortune (and concomitant responsibilities) of living in a democracy can fall into the temptation of placing too much faith in majority decisions, for even when most of the people endorse a certain choice, that alone does not make it the right choice! There's a Latin phrase that expresses that mistaken mindset: Vox populi, vox Dei - the voice of the people is equivalent to the voice of God!
Without a doubt, the clear opinion of the majority on any issue needs to be taken into consideration, but what about those cases when the "voice of the people" is directly opposed to the "voice of God?" Chapters 13 and 14 of Numbers recounts one of the many times when a clear majority reached a conclusion which conflicted with Divine Revelation. A minority report, submitted by Caleb and Joshua, advocated trust in God, who had led the Israelites out of Egypt with the specific intention of bringing them to the Promised Land. But the majority of the Israelite spies refused to believe God would give them the necessary help to overcome the expected resistance from the Canaanites, and therefore they despaired of ever possessing the Promised Land, and they even marshaled a majority of the people to take their side.
The consequences were tragic - by following the voice of the majority, instead of the clear voice of God, the Israelites doomed themselves to the frustration of forty years of pointless wandering in the wilderness, when they could have enjoyed the fruits of the Promised Land in their own lifetimes, if only they had listened to God, and the minority which took His side. In our own day too, there are always tragic consequences whenever immorality is justified on the basis of majority opinion, for the voice of the people never can carry the same authority as the voice of God....
Nm 13:1-2. 25 – 14:1. 26a-29a. 34-35/ Ps 105(106):6-7ab. 13-14. 21-22. 23/ Mt 15:21-28
From today’s readings: “Send men to reconnoiter the land of Canaan, which I am giving the children of Israel.... Remember us, O Lord, as You favor Your people.... O woman, great is your faith! ”
The Voice of the People and the Voice of God
Those of us with the fortune (and concomitant responsibilities) of living in a democracy can fall into the temptation of placing too much faith in majority decisions, for even when most of the people endorse a certain choice, that alone does not make it the right choice! There's a Latin phrase that expresses that mistaken mindset: Vox populi, vox Dei - the voice of the people is equivalent to the voice of God!
Without a doubt, the clear opinion of the majority on any issue needs to be taken into consideration, but what about those cases when the "voice of the people" is directly opposed to the "voice of God?" Chapters 13 and 14 of Numbers recounts one of the many times when a clear majority reached a conclusion which conflicted with Divine Revelation. A minority report, submitted by Caleb and Joshua, advocated trust in God, who had led the Israelites out of Egypt with the specific intention of bringing them to the Promised Land. But the majority of the Israelite spies refused to believe God would give them the necessary help to overcome the expected resistance from the Canaanites, and therefore they despaired of ever possessing the Promised Land, and they even marshaled a majority of the people to take their side.
The consequences were tragic - by following the voice of the majority, instead of the clear voice of God, the Israelites doomed themselves to the frustration of forty years of pointless wandering in the wilderness, when they could have enjoyed the fruits of the Promised Land in their own lifetimes, if only they had listened to God, and the minority which took His side. In our own day too, there are always tragic consequences whenever immorality is justified on the basis of majority opinion, for the voice of the people never can carry the same authority as the voice of God....
posted by FrPitstick | 7/25/2009
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