Stop Complaining and Pray

 Lectionary: 28Reading I

LECTIO:                                          Ex 17:3-7

In those days, in their thirst for water,
the people grumbled against Moses,
saying, “Why did you ever make us leave Egypt?
Was it just to have us die here of thirst 
with our children and our livestock?”
So Moses cried out to the LORD, 
“What shall I do with this people?
a little more and they will stone me!”
The LORD answered Moses,
“Go over there in front of the people, 
along with some of the elders of Israel, 
holding in your hand, as you go, 
the staff with which you struck the river.
I will be standing there in front of you on the rock in Horeb.
Strike the rock, and the water will flow from it 
for the people to drink.”
This Moses did, in the presence of the elders of Israel.
The place was called Massah and Meribah, 
because the Israelites quarreled there
and tested the LORD, saying,
“Is the LORD in our midst or not?”

STUDIUM:

"Are we there yet?"  
Long trips are trying, especially for people who were enslaved.  This is an unfamiliar situation for them.  Moses had just freed them, thanks to God's use of Moses staff.  The Red Sea had parted--the staff, again.  And here, Moses uses his staff again to strike the rock.  Is it the staff?
It's a wonder, the people don't make an idol of Moses' staff.
Look deeper.
Moses prays.  It is prayer that the Lord listens, too.  The people should pray and not complain.

MEDITATIO:

I get it, Lord.  Pray.  Pray before I do anything, especially when I start complaining.  I should have done that when I was working on that excel spreadsheet.

ORATIO:

Yes, Lord, I know You are in the "midst."  May my Guardian Angel help me to remember to pray, always, especially in difficulties.

CONTEMPLATIO:

May I never doubt You.