Monday 17 July 2023

Today is Monday the 17th of July, in the Fifteenth week of Ordinary time.

Paul Zach sings, ‘Nothing to Fear’.


When you pass through the waters
I will be with you
And the depths of the rivers
Shall not overwhelm
When you walk through the fire
You will not be burned
I am the Lord, I am the Lord
And there is nothing to fear, nothing to fear
There is nothing to fear, nothing to fear
For I am with you always
In the depths of your sorrow
I wept beside you
When you walked through the shadow
I drew you near
Yesterday, today, tomorrow,
Always the same
I am the Lord, I am the Lord
And there is nothing to fear, nothing to fear
There is nothing to fear, nothing to fear
For I am with you always
What can separate you from my perfect love?
What can separate you from my perfect love?
What can separate you from my perfect love?
Do not fear, do not fear, do not fear

Today’s reading is from the Book of Exodus.

Exodus 1:8-14,22

Now a new king arose over Egypt, who did not know Joseph. He said to his people, ‘Look, the Israelite people are more numerous and more powerful than we. Come, let us deal shrewdly with them, or they will increase and, in the event of war, join our enemies and fight against us and escape from the land.’ Therefore they set taskmasters over them to oppress them with forced labour. They built supply cities, Pithom and Rameses, for Pharaoh. But the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and spread, so that the Egyptians came to dread the Israelites. The Egyptians became ruthless in imposing tasks on the Israelites, and made their lives bitter with hard service in mortar and brick and in every kind of field labour. They were ruthless in all the tasks that they imposed on them. Then Pharaoh commanded all his people, ‘Every boy that is born to the Hebrews you shall throw into the Nile, but you shall let every girl live.’

Today’s reading takes us into the difficult world of fear. It puts before us a cycle of dread and oppression… which has the most extreme consequences.


There is an invitation here – to look at how fear operates in my life so that maybe I can unmask and defuse it. But first let your mind conjure up an imaginative portrait of those Egyptians. See them as they go about their daily lives – notice how they come across the Israelites …


Listen to them express their fear that they are about to be swamped in their own country … Watch how hostility is born and grows…

The story gives us lots of detail about how Egyptian attitudes were hardened – and even manipulated. As you listen again, keep your ears open for some of the contributing factors which can turn fear into cruel oppression. What do you notice?

This has been a challenging reading to start the week. Maybe it has thrown up memories or reflections which leave you feeling raw. Take a moment to talk them through with the Lord, trusting in His infinite mercy and love.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.