In Amos’ time the city of Jerusalem was a center of learning. King Solomon had built a school, drawing scholars from Egypt, Mesopotamia and Greece. But few residents of the city could read or write and beyond the city, we can suppose, writing was virtually unknown.
When Amos spoke a curse in the name of God, it seemed as real as a radioactive cloud. It lay upon the land, stifling vegetable life and animal fertility. It’s one thing to perceive evil and warn people about it; it’s quite another to curse the land with statements like: The high places of Isaac shall be laid waste, and the sanctuaries of Israel made desolate; I will attack the house of Jeroboam with the sword. (Amos 7:9)
When he persists, cursing the king and his family: "Your wife shall be made a harlot in the city, and your sons and daughters shall fall by the sword; Your land shall be divided by measuring line, and you yourself shall die in an unclean land; Israel shall be exiled far from its land." It’s more than the country can endure.
Likewise, when Jesus speaks a kind word to a paralyzed man, “Courage, child, your sins are forgiven.” that is an assurance as solid as an oaken floor. You can walk on it.
In our Catholic tradition we maintain the same attitude toward our sacraments. When the priest, speaking in persona Christi, says, “This is my body.” the bread becomes the Body of Christ. When he says, “I absolve you” or “I baptize you” all sins are forgiven. Believe it! And when a lover, standing before the altar, the congregation, and the priest, says, “I take you to be my wife (or husband). I will love you and honor you for the rest of my life.” they are married! There is no turning back; divorce is not an option.
Hearing God's blessings in the Sacraments, the Church declares, “The judgments of the Lord are true, all of them just.”
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I love to write. This blog helps me to meditate on the Word of God, and I hope to make some contribution to our contemplations of God's Mighty Works.
Ordinarily, I write these reflections two or three weeks in advance of their publication. I do not intend to comment on current events.
I understand many people prefer gender-neutral references to "God." I don't disagree with them but find that language impersonal, unappealing and tasteless. When I refer to "God" I think of the One whom Jesus called "Abba" and "Father", and I would not attempt to improve on Jesus' language.
You're welcome to add a thought or raise a question.