June 16, 2008

I. Readings
Psalms 5, 29, 82
Numbers 9:15-23; 10:29-36
Romans 1:1-15
Matthew 17:14-21

II. Selections
Psalm 82:3
" ...Give justice to the weak and the orphan;
maintain the right of the lowly and the destitute. ... "
[ God in the divine council]

Numbers 9:17
Whenever the cloud lifted from over the tent, then the Israelites would set out; and in the place where the cloud settled down, there the Israelites would camp.

Romans 1:14-15
I am a debtor both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to the wise and to the foolish-hence my eagerness to proclaim the gospel to you also who are in Rome.

Matthew 17:14-15a
When [ Jesus and his disciples] came to the crowd, a man came to [ Jesus], knelt before him, and said, "Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is an epileptic and he suffers terribly ..."

III. Meditation: Justice to the needy

Jesus, you had mercy on the sick, on all who suffered.
As the Israelites were guided by the lifting up and
settling down of the cloud of God's presence,
guide us in providing justice to the needy.

May we proclaim this to the wise and to the foolish,
may we tell it to the Greek and to the barbarian:
Maintain the right of the lowly and destitute;
give justice to the weak and to the orphan.