Pharaoh's Hardened Heart

Amen. Let's call to mind all those we've promised to pray for.

“I believe in God the Father Almighty creator of heaven and earth. I believe in Jesus Christ is only Son our Lord.”

He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate. It was crucified died and was buried. He descended into hell.

On the third day he rose again. He ascended into heaven and he seated at the right

hand of the Father. He will come again to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Holy Catholic Church, communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body and life everlasting, amen. Or Father, who art in heaven, hollowed with be your name,

“thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”

Give us the stay our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us, and lead us not into temptation, deliver us from evil amen. Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee blessed, our Thou among women blessed, is the fruit of thy womb Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us in our ensnown at the hour of our death, amen. Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee blessed, our Thou among

women blessed, is the fruit of thy womb Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us in our ensnown at the hour of our death, amen. Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee blessed, our Thou among women blessed, is the fruit of thy womb Jesus.

“Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us in our ensnown at the hour of our death, amen.”

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, as now and of our shall be, it world with our end amen. Our first mystery, following the final plague, Pharaoh relents and commands Moses to take the Israelites and leave. The Egyptians, fearing for the destruction, urged them to go and even give them

silver gold and clothing. So the Israelites depart Egypt, numbering about 600,000 men,

plus women and children, probably more than a million people plus livestock.

Again, Pharaoh hardened his heart and pursued Israel to the Red Sea. Were God part of the waters allowing Israel to cross, but Pharaoh in his stubbornness drove his army after them. As the Egyptians chased them into the part of sea, the waters returned, drowning Pharaoh's entire army. The Israelites witnessed their enemies dead on the shore, recognizing God's deliverance. In the book of Exodus, the character of Pharaoh is a tragic story.

He's almost unbelievably obstinate. Of course, at the beginning, before he knows just who Moses is, or who the God of Moses is, it's not surprising that he doesn't take them both very seriously, but then major things start to happen, which do serious damage to the Egyptians, the Nile turning to blood, or their livestock and crops being wiped out, and the sun completely darkened for three days. You'd think that when that stuff starts happening, Pharaoh would really do a 180 and get

with the program. But no, even if he sometimes wavers, he always goes back to his hard line.

I will not let Israel go. And after each of the plagues, there's the common refrain. Yet Pharaoh's heart was stubborn. And as Yahweh had foretold, he would not listen to Moses and Aaron. But maybe what's most interesting is that God foretold that this would happen. He foretold to Moses that Pharaoh would continually refuse to budge. In fact, God says, "I will harden Pharaoh's heart." But what does that mean? Does it mean that God gave Pharaoh

no choice that he made him do the wrong thing? Actually, not at all. When God says, "I will harden Pharaoh's heart." He's telling us something about Pharaoh's character, and maybe something about our own character as well. Our father walked in heaven, hollowed beer name, thy kingdom come thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

against us, and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil amen.

“Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee, blessed, art thou, among women, blessed is a fruit of thy”

womb Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us in our ensnown at the hour of our death, amen. Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee, blessed, art thou, among women, blessed is a fruit of thy womb Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us in our ensnown at the hour of our death, amen. Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee, blessed, art thou, among women, blessed is a fruit of thy womb Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us in our ensnown at the hour of our death, amen.

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee, blessed, art thou, among women, blessed is a fruit of

thy womb Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us in our ensnown at the hour of our death, amen. Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee, blessed, art thou, among women, blessed is a fruit of

“thy womb Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us in our ensnown at the hour of our death, amen.”

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee, blessed, art thou, among women, blessed is a fruit of thy womb Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us in our ensnown at the hour of our death, amen. Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee, blessed, art thou, among women, blessed is a fruit of thy womb Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us in our ensnown at the hour of our death, amen. Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee, blessed, art thou, among women, blessed is a fruit of

thy womb Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us in our ensnown at the hour of our death, amen. Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee, blessed, art thou, among women, blessed is a fruit of thy womb Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us in our ensnown at the hour of our death, amen. Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee, blessed, art thou, among women, blessed is a fruit of thy womb Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us in our ensnown at the hour of our death, amen.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning as now to Versailles be, world without end amen. Oh, my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of hell, lead all souls to have an especially those most in need of that mercy. For such a mystery,

God is always the same. Always good and generous to everyone, but sometimes the same thing

acting the same way can have different effects on different things. The classic example is the Son. Son is always the same. Always itself. Always sending heat down to earth. But he will affect different kinds of things differently. For instance, the same Son will melt wax and harden in clay, because wax and clay are differently disposed. So, too, the same God acting benevolently toward everyone will soften some hearts into repentance and love and harden other hearts into

rebellion and bitterness. It all depends on how our hearts are disposed. So, what is the right way to do to dispose our heart to God's activity? How can we make sure that our hearts won't

“be hardened like Pharaohs? Our Father, who art in heaven, how will it be your name?”

That kingdom come, that will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us a stay or a daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us and lead us not into temptation. Deliver us from evil, Amen. Hail Mary, full of grace. The Lord is with thee, blessed our Thou among women, blessed is the fruit of thy womb Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us in earns now, in the hour of our death, amen. Hail Mary, full of grace. The Lord is with

thee, blessed our Thou among women, blessed is the fruit of thy womb Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us in earns now, in the hour of our death, amen. Hail Mary, full of grace. The Lord is with thee, blessed our Thou among women, blessed is the fruit of thy womb Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us in earns now, in the hour of our death, amen. Hail Mary, full of grace. The Lord is with thee, blessed our Thou among women, blessed is the fruit of thy womb Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God,

pray for us in earns now, in the hour of our death, amen. Hail Mary, full of grace. The Lord is with

pray for us in earns now, in the hour of our death, amen. Hail Mary, full of grace. The Lord is with

“thee, blessed our Thou among women, blessed is the fruit of thy womb Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God,”

pray for us in earns now, in the hour of our death, amen. Hail Mary, full of grace. The Lord is with thee, blessed our Thou among women, blessed is the fruit of thy womb Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us in earns now, in the hour of our death, amen. Hail Mary, full of grace. The Lord is with thee, blessed our Thou among women, blessed is the fruit of thy womb Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us in earns now, in the hour of our death, amen. Hail Mary, full of grace. The Lord is with

thee, blessed our Thou among women, blessed is the fruit of thy womb Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us in earns now, in the hour of our death, amen. Hail Mary, full of grace. The Lord is with thee, blessed our Thou among women, blessed is the fruit of thy womb Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us in earns now, in the hour of our death, amen. Glory be to the Father and to the Son

and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning as now, never shall be, world without end, amen.

Oh, my Jesus. For you have us our sins, save us from the fires of hell, lead all souls to have an especially those most in need of thy mercy. Our third mystery. At the end of the day, there's probably only one way to dispose your heart rightly to God and it's this.

“Are you willing to look at yourself honestly and acknowledge the sin and failure inside you?”

And are you willing to apologize for it and try to do better? Remember, God didn't just harden Pharaoh's heart by his displays of power. Jesus also hardened the hearts of the Pharisees

by his displays of love and mercy because they weren't willing to admit that they were sinners,

that they had deep problems, that they caused a lot of unnecessary suffering to other people. They weren't willing to admit that they were sick, so the arrival of the physician just hardened their hearts. But if you're willing to examine and to go to confession and to tell God your sorry and that you sincerely want to change, then you will be able to respond rightly with a holy flexibility to God's work in your life. If not, you have no hope.

“There's a terrible sentence in the book of Syracc, it says, "For one sort of man,”

there is no remedy, the proud. The evil took too deep a root before he even knew it. God knew the Pharaoh was that kind of man, and that no matter what he did, Pharaoh would not change. Our Father, whoards in heaven, howl it would be your name, like Kingdom God, and I will be done on earth as it is in heaven." "Give us a stair, daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass

against us, and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil, amen." "You are Mary full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed are Thal among women, blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus." "Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us, and earth is now at the hour of our death, amen." "You are Mary full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed are Thal among women, blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus."

"Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us, and earth is now at the hour of our death, amen." "You are Mary full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed are Thal among women, blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus." "Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us, and earth is now at the hour of our death, amen." "You are Mary full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed are Thal among women, blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus." "Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us, and earth is now at the hour of our death, amen."

"You are Mary full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed are Thal among women, blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus." "Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us, and earth is now at the hour of our death, amen." "You are Mary full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed are Thal among women, blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus." "Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us, and earth is now at the hour of our death, amen." "You are Mary full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed are Thal among women, blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus."

"Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us, and earth is now at the hour of our death, amen."

"Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us, and earth is now at the hour of our death, amen."

“"You are Mary full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed are Thal among women, blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus."”

"Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us, and earth is now at the hour of our death, amen." "You are Mary full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed are Thal among women, blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus." "Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us, and earth is now at the hour of our death, amen." "Holy Mary, to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit." "As it was, in the beginning, as now, and of our shallot be, world without end, amen."

"All my Jesus." "For give us our sins, save us from the fires of hell. Lead all souls to have an especially those most in need of

mercy." "Our fourth mystery. We always recognize, prideful, obstancy in others. We recognize that

“they never look at themselves, that they are unwilling to change, and that for them, it's always”

someone else's fault, and then we shake our heads. But how ironic would it be, and yet, how likely it actually is, if we criticize other people for being unreflective, and then it turns out, that's exactly what we are. So here are a couple of tests drawn from a story of Pharaoh. "When people are angry at you, do you ever say, you know what? They're right. I wouldn't like to have to deal with me either. And then do you say to the person who's upset with you? I realize I have this

vice, and it makes things hard for you. I'm sorry. I will work on it." "And when you have an idea or a project, and people are telling you, they don't think it's a good idea, and you go ahead with it anyway, and it fails. Do you say, wow, I'm sorry. You were right. I was wrong. We won't do that again. Or when something unpleasant happens to your life,

“do you constantly complain about it and say, why did these things happen to me? Or do you remember”

that you, with all your sins, deserve much worse? And then use the occasion of suffering to do penance and grow in humility, and maybe most importantly, when you've gone against the church's teaching, maybe you've divorced and remarried, or gotten yourself sterilized, or have

a habitual pornography problem, and it hasn't made you happy because it never will.

"Do you say, Lord, I'm sorry. I'll try to reform and restructure my life and do penance for that sin, or do you just shrug it off and change nothing?" The point is, it's easy to point the finger at Pharaoh and others who are totally incapable of self-criticism and self-reform. But if the people in your life and the events in your life don't prompt you to self-criticism and self-reform, then you have a hardened heart too,

and everything God is trying to do for you is just making your heart harder. Our Father, who art in heaven, hollowed be your name. Liking him come, I will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Your vests stay our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us, and lead us not into temptation, deliver us from evil Imen. Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee blessed, art thou among women, blessed is a fruit of thy

womb Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us in our ensnown at the hour of our death, Amen. Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee blessed, art thou among women, blessed is a fruit of thy womb Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us in our ensnown at the hour of our death, Amen. Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee blessed, art thou among women, blessed is a fruit of thy womb Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us in our ensnown at the hour of our death, Amen.

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee blessed, art thou among women, blessed is a fruit. Of thy womb Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us in our ensnown at the hour of our death, Amen. Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee blessed, art thou among women, blessed is a fruit of thy womb Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us in our ensnown at the hour of our death, Amen.

thy womb Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us in our ensnown at the hour of our death, amen.

“Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee blessed, art thou among women, blessed is a fruit of”

thy womb Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us in our ensnown at the hour of our death, amen. Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee blessed, art thou among women, blessed is a fruit of thy womb Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us in our ensnown at the hour of our death, amen. Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee blessed, art thou among women, blessed is a fruit of thy womb Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us in our ensnown at the hour of our death, amen.

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee blessed, art thou among women, blessed is a fruit of

thy womb Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us in our ensnown at the hour of our death, amen. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning,

“as now and to our shall be, world without end, amen. Oh, my Jesus, forgive us, our sins,”

save us from the fires of hell, lead all souls to have an especially those most need of thy mercy. Our fifth mystery. Pharaoh's hardened heart cost him everything. He didn't just cripple his own nation. He also lost his own son. And then, in that supreme insanity of his own unreflectiveness,

he sent his whole army into a sea that was right before his eyes split apart by a staggering

power that was clearly on the side of the Israelites. But he was the sort of person where the plain facts just prompted greater and greater abstinency. And if we allow ourselves to become that sort of person, we also will lose everything. The love of our families, the respect of our friends and when it's all over, everlasting life. So this lent let's ask ourselves what have the circumstances of our life shown us that we need to change? What he's got doing in our life

“and how can my heart be responsive to what he's showing me instead of hardened?”

Our father, who art in heaven, hollowed be your name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us the stay or dearly bread and forgive us our trespasses. As we forgive those who trespass against us, and lead us not in temptation to live rest from evil amen. The old Mary full of grace to Lord is with thee blessed, our thalamong women, blessed is the fruit of thy womb Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us in our ensignown at the hour of our death, amen.

The old Mary full of grace to Lord is with thee blessed, our thalamong women, blessed is the fruit of thy womb Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us in our ensignown at the hour of our death, amen. The old Mary full of grace to Lord is with thee blessed, our thalamong women, blessed is the fruit of thy womb Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us in our ensignown at the hour of our death, amen. The old Mary full of grace to Lord is with thee blessed, our thalamong women, blessed is the fruit

of thy womb Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us in our ensignown at the hour of our death, amen. The old Mary full of grace to Lord is with thee blessed, our thalamong women, blessed is the fruit of thy womb Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us in our ensignown at the hour of our death, amen. The old Mary full of grace to Lord is with thee blessed, our thalamong women, blessed is the fruit of thy womb Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us in our ensignown at the hour of our death, amen.

The old Mary full of grace to Lord is with thee blessed, our thalamong women, blessed is the fruit of thy womb Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us in our ensignown at the hour of our death, amen. The old Mary, full of grace to Lord is with thee blessed, our thalamong women, blessed is the fruit of thy womb Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us in our ensignown at the hour of our death, amen. The old Mary, full of grace to Lord is with thee blessed, our thalamong women, blessed is the fruit of

thy womb Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us in our ensignown at the hour of our death, amen. The old Mary, full of grace to Lord is with thee blessed, our thalamong women, blessed is the fruit of thy womb Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us in our ensignown at the hour of our death, amen. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the

save us from the fires of hell. Lead all souls to heaven, especially those most in need of that mercy.

“Saint Michael, the archangel, defendness and battle, be our protection against the wickedness and”

errors of the devil. May God rebuke him, we humbly pray, and do thou print in heaven the host. By the power of God cast into hell, Satan in all the evil spirits who browse throughout the world, seeking the ruin of souls. The name of the Father and the Son of the Holy Spirit. Amen. What struck you with that meditation? I was thinking a bit about the blame game. You know, it's

easy to, like you said, diagnose other people, and their hardness of heart or their unwillingness

to change, because it's also the thing that makes it easiest to blame other people, but it's also easy for us to blame our circumstances or to blame God, and even for Pharaoh, to blame God in this circumstance, but it's still his character leading up to that moment, every choice that's lead it, lead up to that moment. Yeah. And how he's going to react to God, the same God, the same.

“Yeah, I think maybe the most important thing and the hardest thing is that God is working”

through every circumstance. And my emotions get the best to me. Pride, anger, sadness, resentment, all kinds of things. And then, and they literally, they take control and blind us to what is God doing, and what is he asking us, or how is he asking us to respond to this situation? Because they're still a good answer. They're still a good response, no matter what the situation is. Right. Because God works all things for good for those who cooperate with him.

Pharaoh didn't cooperate. Pharaoh could have and, you know, it would have been interesting. The original request was, "Hey, Pharaoh, you've got to let my people go with three days journey into the wilderness to sacrifice to God, worship God, and then come back." There's something about setting them free. Yeah. And, uh, wild. If Pharaoh would have done like, like, the people at Nineveh converted, when Jonah came to them, if Pharaoh would have converted,

who knows, all of Egypt may have converted. Pharaoh was the head of the superpower for the whole world, you know, who part of the world might have come into God's covenant, everything might have

changed. What a different story. And not that it wasn't an option in the first place, but it's just

“not what he chose. I think that's, that's a really good reminder when we look back on those stories,”

because it's easy to look at it as so fixed. Because it is what it is now, but it could have been very different. It still can be very different for us. Exactly. So, what is in the circumstance that I'm going through right now, that you're going through, that anyone praying with this is going through, we have to be, we have to make sure that we don't let our emotions get the best of us, and that we calm down, and then say, "Lord, I don't know what you're doing here,

help me to cooperate." And I'm really convinced, God will not ignore that prayer and leave you hanging. I bet you if Pharaoh would have turned to God and said, "I don't understand this at all, help me." He would have, same for us. Let that be our resolution today. If we find ourselves in the midst of some difficulty where the emotions are getting the best of us, we have to stop, say, "Lord, I don't understand, help me to cooperate." That'd be a good resolution.

Thanks for the conversation. Thank you. Let's be apostles of friendship, good conversation,