We commonly speak of the Jews wandering for forty years in the desert before reaching the Promised Land. There is some truth in this description since the people did not generally know from one day to another where they were headed for. Yet there is a deeper reality and meaning to their journey. Towards the end of our first reading today we hear the great central truth of the Book of Exodus: the Lord led them out of the land of Egypt. Psalm 136 expresses the same truth: God brought the Israelites out of the midst of the Egyptians. The Israelites followed God's guidance given to them through Moses. They followed with a blind faith though they were not always compliant: they frequently complained against God and against Moses.

We are very like the Israelites in the desert, while we often do have long term plans, we live out our lives from day to day. We do not always understand the details of our life's journey and frequently have to walk in blind faith. We are not always compliant and we may complain against God, against the Church, and against many other circumstances of life.