CHANNEL YOUR INNER CALEB

Numbers 13:1-2,25-14:1,26-29,34-35; Psalm 106 Remember us, O Lord, as you favor your people; Matt 15:21-28

"Caleb, however, to quiet the people toward Moses, said, "we ought to go up and seize the land, for we can certainly do so."

Backdrop to the above story line.  The LORD asked Moses to send men to reconnoiter the land of Canaan, which he was giving the children of Israel."

They were sent to examine and explore the gift God was laying at their feet.  This was the promise being fulfilled.  The people have seen God act time and time again in their favor.  They had no reason to doubt.  They have had countless moments of victory with God leading the way.

They had journeyed through the wilderness and had been fed for forty years with Mana.  God had been true to his word.

Now on the verge of receiving the gift and entering into the promise, they bulk and hesitate.  They let the discouraging reports spread by a few to dismay them.

Caleb was the only voice of reason.  Caleb was the one voice of faithfulness a midst cries of doubt and discouragement.  The people refused to heed the cry of hope and gave in to the talk and gossip of discontent and doubt.

How often is this us in our life?  How often do we overlook the voice of reason and hope and let the cries of discontent and doubt take over our life?

How often do we refuse to be the voice of reason and faith and hope in the lives of others?  How often do we choose the settle down with doubt leading the way?

How often do we let the "reels" in our head play the song of doubt and discontent?  How often do we let the darkness choose the rhythm by which our life unfolds rather than heed the song of hope that is been set forth by the LORD himself?

We need to channel our inner Caleb in our life!

How often do we forget, like the psalm reminds us, forget the "God who had saved them, who had done great deeds..."

Faith is often connected to our ability to remember and to call on the reserve of our memory to light the path forward.  This is why Jesus asked us at the Last supper, to "do this in remembrance of" him.

It is the one good memory that is meant to fuel our faith and hope a midst lives doubt and confusion.  It is meant to help us heed the call of hope in our life and to be the voice of reason and hope for others.  We too often live as if we have no memory of God's action and the mass brings to real life that experience of God's saving action.

This is why it is so important to celebrate the Mass; for on the altar we are reminded time and time of again that hope is the very foundation of our life and love.

We ought to be a voice of hope and faith because we can certainly do so, not because of our own talents but because we remember what God has done, what he will do, what he continually does daily.