Tuesday of the Nineteenth Week of Ordinary Time

Be brave and steadfast; have no fear or dread of them,
for it is the LORD, your God, who marches with you;
he will never fail you or forsake you….
It is the LORD who marches before you;
he will be with you and will never fail you or forsake you.
So do not fear or be dismayed.”

Like several other leaders in the Bible, Moses gives a farewell address to his people before he dies. In fact the entire Book of Deuteronomy is framed as a farewell address, but today’s reading brings us to its end. Once again we hear, “Do not fear or be dismayed.”
The death of the founder of a movement is a grave crisis to his or her disciples. In recent times we have seen the community of Mother Theresa of Calcutta spreading throughout the world. She has inspired a generation of young women to follow in her rigorous path of service to the poor. Fortunately she had the wisdom and foresight -- and the long experience of the Church – to lay a foundation for her movement to survive her death and continue her mission. Other spiritual and religious movements have not been so fortunate. 

This is a challenge for founders, both men and women. Like the founders of businesses, innovative religious leaders want their gift to last well beyond their deaths, but they sometimes find it hard to cede direction and control to younger people. As they age and the times change they worry that their visions might be lost as the organization adapts to different circumstances.
The followers have their own anxieties. Some believe they cannot go on without the founder. Others admire the founder but believe we must adapt to new circumstances. They are eager to bring the founding spirit to the new situation; and, perhaps, to add a few innovations of their own. 

Shortly after Saint Francis of Assisi died, Brother Elias began the construction of a new basilica in his honor. The building, which claims the distinction of being the birthplace of the Italian Renaissance, remains controversial to this day. One group claims the Franciscan spirit is immortalized by its frescoes and windows; another group insists that the Saint would tear it down if he could.

Moses death signaled the end of their desert sojourn and their settling in Canaan among people who worshiped other gods. As always, the LORD marched ahead of the people and Joshua was his new prophet and judge. More than three thousand years later, immortalized by the Book of Deuteronomy, Moses’ faith still advances through the world. We still hear his encouraging word, “It is the LORD who marches before you; do not fear or be dismayed.”