"This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well
pleased; listen to him."
The human being
is born with a sense of right and wrong. Every baby knows, “What I like is
good; what I don’t like is bad.” Only reluctantly are we persuaded that we may
be wrong about that.
Eventually most
people conform to the ethical standards they are taught. They agree: There are
two ways to live, good and evil. The wise pursue goodness, the foolish pursue
evil. The good will be rewarded, the wicked will be punished. If God is good
and wise, he will bless the good and curse the wicked. So far, so good.
The Old
Testament adds an entirely new, unexpected dimension -- the personal -- to this teaching. What was two has become three dimensional. God has chosen Abraham and his descendants as
his beloved people. Who bless the Chosen are blessed; who despise the Chosen
are accursed. Knowledge of the Good God must come through his Holy People.
Finally, God has
revealed to the world his Only Begotten Son and made him the Lord and Judge of
All. Who love the Lord Jesus are blessed; who curse him are doomed. He speaks clearly
to us through the Mass and Sacraments, “This is my beloved son. Listen to him!”
As of Ash Wednesday,
we have set out with Jesus for Jerusalem, Calvary and Easter. Today’s Mass
reminds us of the urgency of this journey. We are rapidly approaching a crisis.
The Lord himself will be condemned to death, and by his dying he will save
those who are doomed. Our only hope is to listen to him.
During this time
of national moral crisis, a crisis which is spreading from America and
throughout Europe, thousands of honest, hard-working, tax-paying vulnerable
people are being judged as undesirable, dangerous, illegal and immoral. They are
being expelled from our country and from several European countries although
they have broken no moral law.
When we listen to Jesus and remember his identification
with the poor, despised and vulnerable, we have no choice but to welcome his beloved people into our communities.
No comments:
Post a Comment
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.