The Fingers of God

Last night when my two year old granddaughter was getting ready for bed after a long day of playing and running around outside, I asked her if she had a kiss for me before going to bed.  She replied in a grouchy voice “go away Nana!  I realized that she was worn out from her busy day and that she didn’t really mean what she had said to me, but I looked back at her with an extra sad face.  Right away she looked at me and on the verge of tears she said “I’m sorry Nana” she touched my face with her delicate little finger and gave me a great big kiss, and all was forgiven.

A week or so ago I began reading through the three readings for this Sunday, 4/7 the Fifth Sunday of Lent.  Each time as I reflected on the readings certain words and phrases kept surfacing. In all three of the readings we hear of God’s power of forgiveness and reconciliation. “Thus says the LORD, remember not the events of the past, the things of long ago consider not; see, I am doing something new!” (Reading 1  IS 43:16-21), “Just one thing:  forgetting what lies behind but straining forward to what lies ahead, I continue my pursuit toward the goal, the prize of God’s upward calling, in Jesus Christ.” (PHIL 3: 14), and from the Gospel reading (JN 8:1-11) John tells the story of the woman caught in adultery.

I’ve noticed that throughout the Bible God’s fingers are referenced many times.  It appears in Exodus 8:15 during the plaques in Egypt “this is the finger of God” and in Exodus 31:18 where the stone tablets of the Ten Commandments are “inscribed by the finger of God” and in today’s Gospel reading (JN 8:1-11) where John tells us that “Jesus bent down and began to write on the ground with his finger”.  The finger of God being used as a symbol of God’s power, his infinite power to forgive and to heal.  He extends His finger, His hand, His mercy and His forgiveness to each of us as we go to him sinful, with a sincere heart seeking to repair our damaged friendship with him through repentance and reconciliation. 

Today in Mass we recited both the Verse before the Gospel (JL 2:12-13) “Even now, says the Lord, return to me with your whole heart; for I am gracious and merciful.” Each time we pray The Lord’s Prayer we ask God to forgive us our trespasses and lead us not in to temptation but deliver us from evil.  We desire God’s mercy and he desires for us to have it despite our concupiscence.

So as we journey through the final few weeks of Lent seeking to grow in our relationship with God and striving to become a reflection of Christ in the world, we continue to try or best, forgiving others who have hurt us and creating one holy moment at a time bringing encouragement and joy to those who God places in our path each day. 

Reflection by Colleen Larose