The Duties of the Levites

Numbers 3:5-13

Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: Bring the tribe of Levi near, and set them before Aaron the priest, so that they may assist him. They shall perform duties for him and for the whole congregation in front of the tent of meeting, doing service at the tabernacle; they shall be in charge of all the furnishings of the tent of meeting, and attend to the duties for the Israelites as they do service at the tabernacle. You shall give the Levites to Aaron and his descendants; they are unreservedly given to him from among the Israelites. But you shall make a register of Aaron and his descendants; it is they who shall attend to the priesthood, and any outsider who comes near shall be put to death. Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: I hereby accept the Levites from among the Israelites as substitutes for all the firstborn that open the womb among the Israelites. The Levites shall be mine, for all the firstborn are mine; when I killed all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, I consecrated for my own all the firstborn in Israel, both human and animal; they shall be mine. I am the Lord.

Light a candle as you savor the words above from the Hebrew Scriptures. Then, slowly read the meditation below from Meister Eckhart. Invite God to let you know the experience of being the mother of God. Can you trust God enough to know God's presence in this intimate way? Pay attention to your "gut reaction" to this notion--and thank God for blessing you, whatever your response.

What is my name?
What is your name?
What is God’s name?
Our name is:
that we must be born.
And the Creator’s name is:
to bear.
The soul alone
among all creatures
is generative
like God is.

We are all meant
to be mothers of God.