Numbers 33:1-35
Having arrived at the frontier of the land, Moses and the children of Israel are invited to turn about and to look behind them. What a way they have travelled since the great Passover night! Besides happy or even glorious stages — Pi-Hahiroth and the crossing of the Red Sea, Elim with its wells and palm trees — certain other names had a sorrowful note: Sin and its murmuring, Rephidim with its disputes, Sinai with the golden calf, Kibroth-Hataavah with its lusting and the sad business of the quails . . . these names sadly evoke the crossing of the wilderness as so many lessons necessary to teach Israel — and every one of us — little by little to get to know their own hearts. Doubtless the people would have liked to wipe out certain of these names from their itinerary. Moses would have had his own personal reasons to keep quiet about Kadesh, with the waters of Meribah. Well, it is not possible! We cannot make past errors disappear nor retrace our steps to re-live a single hour of our life. But what we can do is to remember the lessons learnt on the way, the patience which has borne with us and the mercy of Him who has forgiven us everything.