Tuesday Reflection by Sr. Rosemary Finnegan, O.P.
Readings from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/080321.cfm
Many of you know that my brother Mike died 3 weeks ago in Chicago, and I was able to see him one hour before he passed for which I will be eternally grateful. From the bottom of my heart, I want to thank you for your kind thoughts and many prayers for our family, especially my amazing mother who will be 100 in January.
Ironically, when I opened the readings for today, don’t I see that they are about another brother and sister…Moses and his older sister Miriam whom we recall watched vigilantly as her infant brother Moses floated down the river in a basket so he wouldn’t be killed by the Egyptians. Rescued by the Pharaoh’s daughter, it was Miriam who offered to have him nursed by his own mother. Moses’ story after that we know well, but Miriam, too, became a key leader, often unrecognized, in the most significant story of the Israelites… their Exodus from Egypt. Unfortunately, her leadership had one dark moment in which she lost sight of who she was, and that’s the incident we heard about in our reading.
Like other great leaders in Scripture, Miriam had her faults and flaws. In Miriam’s case she allowed the bitterness and rebellion that had been nursing in her heart to come out into the open. Scripture says: “Miriam and Aaron began to talk against Moses… ‘Has the Lord spoken only through Moses?’ they asked. ‘Hasn’t He also spoken through us?’”
She then rebels against Moses whom she had long protected. Why? Prejudice, not ambition, drove her to rebel. Moses had married a Cushite woman, a non-Jew, a woman of Ethiopia and this caused bitterness and division in the family. It even made her and Aaron, her other brother, call into question God’s choice of Moses as the leader. We are told then that God got angry with Miriam and afflicted her with leprosy.
Our reading today leaves us wondering if Miriam got healed. Thankfully, she did, but how? It was Moses himself, who had good reason to be resentful, instead forgave her, prayed for her, and pleaded with God on her behalf. Because of the prayers of Moses, the one who was wronged, the one who was hurt by this act of bitterness, Miriam was restored to health, and restored to her place as a leader alongside Moses and Aaron once again.
As we think about the great Miriam today, let us pray for all leaders, both recognized and unrecognized. Most importantly, may we also pray for those who have hurt us, that we may become intercessors for them.
