Today’s Reading from Jeremiah 39:4-10 takes us back to Noah’s son, Ham. Ham’s sons included Cush, ancestor of Jethro and Moses’s wife, Zipporah. Their half-Cushite sons were Gershom and Eliezer. Cush’s people lived between Midian and Ethiopia:
Moses’ wife was a Cushite (2 Chronicles 14:9). Her husband and the father of her sons was so important to God that He appeared with Elijah at The Transfiguration of Jesus, described in Matthew 17:1-8, Mark 9:2-13, and Luke 9:28-36. 2 Peter 1:16-18 confirms the importance of Moses.
Ebed-melech was the Cushite who saved the Prophet Jeremiah (Jeremiah 38:7-8). Today’s Catholic Reading, Psalm 40:2-4 & 18, reminds us how God used him to answer Jeremiah’s Prayer: ‘The LORD heard my cry, He drew me out of the pit of destruction.” God answered Jeremiah’s prayer, “Lord, come to my aid!” with the only person in Jerusalem who would obey God, a Cushite!
Zerah the Cushite also did God’s Will when he led an army of a million men against Judah (2 Chronicles 14:9)).
An important Ethiopian Cushite was helped when Jesus Christ led Philip to find, teach, and Baptize a Cushite official in Acts 8. He helped spread The Catholic Church to Ethiopia. Midianite Catholics helped spread The Word of God as far as India and Nepal.
St. Paul reminds us that Cushites are among “the great cloud of witnesses” described in Hebrews 12:1-4, “Brothers and sisters: Since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us rid ourselves of every burden and sin that clings to us and persevere in running the race that lies before us while keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus, the leader and perfecter of faith.”
Why are all Catholics in that “great cloud of witnesses”?
Catholics are blessed to respect He Who Fulfilled the Prophecies enough to obey His Only Church-Creating Decree to His First Catholic Pope in Mt 16:18-20: “And I say unto you thou art Peter and on this rock I build My Church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. I give you the keys to The Kingdom of God.”
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Today’s Simple Rhyme: “May all be blessed to understand: / “You are My friends if you obey My commands.” (John 20:23)
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