I had some insights after I joined an online Mass yesterday Let me share some of my reflections and thoughts on yesterday’s first reading taken from Numbers 21:4-9.

The Israelites were punished by God (by sending serpents that bit them and killed some of them) because they kept complaining even though God has helped them survive (by providing manna and pigeons for meat) in the desert.

I could not help but think of the parallelism between our current situation and what the Israelites were experiencing in the desert. It has been a year of being on home quarantine.

Are you one of the complainers, too?

Are you, like the Israelites, questioning God why He allowed this pandemic to happen to us?

Are you, like the Israelites, complaining that you are not able to enjoy the things that you used to enjoy when you were still in “Egypt”?

Are you, like the Israelites, complaining because you only have the basic things and you can only do basic or essential activities?

The Israelites were missing their life in Egypt although it was not ideal or perfect. They missed it because they were already comfortable in their sufferings. They got accustomed to a life of slavery.

So, even though God wanted to give them a better life, they were complaining while on their way to a better life.

Are you, like the Israelites, complaining and questioning our leaders because we are not happy that things have not improved and we are still experiencing this pandemic?

The Israelites were so angry at Moses because he has led them to the desert. Life in the desert was hard. There were many of them who wanted to replace Moses and who no longer wanted to follow his lead.

Can you relate to the Israelites?

Do you know that the Israelites wandered in the desert for 40 years and many died without entering or seeing the Promised Land because they have not learned the lessons that God wanted them to learn while they were in the desert? They could have arrived at the Promised Land much sooner.

Do you want to get out of this desert experience?

Why don’t you try to be silent instead of complaining?

Instead of wanting to go out of your house, go to your inner room and talk to God?

Have you filled most of your days in the past year with online meetings and activities that entertain you but hardly had time to commune with God?

Where are you now in your relationship with God after a year of being stripped of many distractions?

Did you allow yourself to be distracted again by keeping yourself busy with many things without discerning or asking God if He wanted you to be busy with those things?

Did you go out of your way to meet and talk with people outside of your house while you were supposed to be on home quarantine but failed to consistently have heart-to-heart conversations with God?

Have you kept Jesus waiting alone inside your heart all throughout this time because you’d rather talk to other people than to Him?

It would be good to ask yourself these questions.

Why are you so afraid to be silent?

Why are you so afraid to be left on your own or to be alone?

Why can’t you stand being alone with God in the silence?

Why can’t you stand inactivity and rest both for your body and spirit?

Could it be that God purposely let all these things happen so He could have time alone with each one of us but many are still evading Him?

When we are complaining, we only hear our voice. It’s hard to hear other people’s voices or God’s voice when we keep on complaining.

Could it be that God is teaching all of us to be more humble and to learn to surrender more?

Could it be that God is asking us to trust Him more and to let Him lead us to new territories by letting us go through this desert experience?

The sooner that we stop complaining, the sooner that we’ll hear His voice, and His instructions would be clear.

When we hear His voice clearly, we will know better if we should go to the left or to the right. His voice will direct our steps. And when that happens, the sooner that we’ll go out of the desert.

Don’t waste this time of purification. Surrender to God’s plan and let all your discomforts and pains during this time purify and strengthen you to make you worthy of what God wants to give you in the future.

Don’t make the same mistake that the Israelites made.