The Lord continues to instruct Moses as the Israelites are being prepared for the journey from Mt. Sinai to the Promised Land. The passage begins with a discussion of Nazirites, who are people who dedicate themselves to the Lord in a special way (either permanently or for a set period of time). The passage ends with a description of the offerings made to the Dwelling by the princes of the twelve tribes. Tucked between these two discussions is a short description of the priestly blessing. The Lord tells Moses to instruct Aaron to use this prayer to bless the Israelites. This same short, beautiful blessing (or a variation of it) is used to bless the congregation at the end of the Catholic Mass:
The Lord bless you and keep you!
The Lord let his face shine upon you, and be gracious to you!
The Lord look upon you kindly and give you peace!
Such a tender blessing! So at odds with a lot of the other things we've read in Leviticus and Numbers! I have always been struck by "keep you." What does that mean? Keep you safe? Keep you close to Him? Keep you in His heart? Whatever it means, it sounds wonderful--warm and close and tender. Likewise, "let His face shine upon you." I think about laying in the grass or on the beach on a summer day with eyes closed, feeling the powerful yet soothing warmth of the sun on my face. I had a friend who used to like to do this and to feel that warmth as God's love. And, of course, it ends with peace. I just love this short blessing and often turn it over in my mind. It is hard to imagine a better way to end the Mass, and here it is, tucked away in Numbers. Awesome.
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