16 December 2019
Monday of the Third Week of Advent
After their exodus from Egypt, the Israelites came near the promised land and encamped in the plains of Moab. This did not suit the King of Moab at all, so he hired the prophet Balaam to curse these foreigners. The prophet Balaam ordered seven altars to be built, and seven bulls to be sacrificed, together with seven rams. After the sacrifices were completed, the prophet went alone up to a “bare height,” (Num 23:3) and there he received God’s message. Returning to the King, and standing before the whole court, Balaam delivered four famous oracles. To the great surprise of everyone, the oracles were blessings for the Israelites, not curses. The king protested, but the prophet Balaam stood firm. He knew God’s word and would not contradict it.
For the practitioner of Ignatian Spirituality, the deeds of the prophet Balaam show a pattern worth noticing. He starts with a communal sacrifice, then he withdraws himself from the community, going up to a “bare height” to wait for God to meet him, then he receives God’s message, then he shares that message with the community. When the spiritual exercises of St. Ignatius Loyola are made as intended, incorporating the sacrifice of the mass, the pattern is similar.
The four oracles of the prophet Balaam were a disappointment to the king of Moab and to the court of the king. They famously predicted the triumph of a future king of Israel. “A star shall advance from Jacob” (Num 24:17). This is the star whose coming was perceived by the wise men. Like them, we must be attentive.