29 October 2023 30th Sunday in Ordinary Time
The Lord said…
‘You shall not wrong or oppress a resident alien, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt.
You shall not abuse any widow or orphan.
If you do abuse them, when they cry out to me, I will surely heed their cry;
my wrath will burn, and I will kill you with the sword,
and your wives shall become widows and your children orphans.’
From Exodus 22: 20-27, NRSV
If we did not know who spoke these words, we might be tempted to think that they are part of a political agenda. In Exodus, we have some of the earliest laws the Lord gave to the People. These are simple – direct – and as challenging for today’s society as they must have been when God first gave them. God makes it quite clear that our treatment of more vulnerable people is heeded and that failing to respect and support them in their need will have consequences for us too.
- Why do you think God needed to make these commandments?
- How far have we come in keeping these commandments – personally and in wider society?
Give some time today to reflecting on God’s commandments and thinking how they are complied with – and how we fail to. Be open to any prompting to do something about them.
Photo:Eskinder Debebe. www.unmultimedia.org/photo/
