when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel
and the house of Judah.
It will not be like the covenant I made with their fathers
the day I took them by the hand
to lead them forth from the land of Egypt;
for they broke my covenant,
and I had to show myself their master, says the LORD.
As I have reflected on the readings of Lent this year I have been impressed by the number of references to the time. I have reminded my faithful readers of this season, this window of opportunity. The wise man Qoheleth gave us the wonderful song of Ecclesiastes 3: For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven..." and the wise pay attention to the seasons. We wear warm clothes in the winter; we drink more water during the summers; we prepare for the Coming of Christ during Advent and we repent during Lent.
The foolish are those who ignore the seasons. Their health can be destroyed by thin clothing in winter and by dehydration in summer. Likewise, failure to notice the seasons of prayer waste precious opportunities.
We may celebrate God's unbounded mercy, but putting off penance until the last moment is presumptuous and foolhardy. Who can say he will actually be ready to repent when his final hour comes? His obstinacy may be as persistent in his final agony as it was during his hours of comfort. As someone has said, "There is no cure for stupid."
Today's first reading immediately reminds us, "The days are coming..." At one time this fifth Sunday of Lent was called Passion Sunday. We read one of the passion narratives of the Gospel; we shrouded the saints' statues in purple. We put away the chimes and used wooden knockers to signal sacred moments of the Mass. We silenced the organ and the choir sang a capella as we entered the final days of Lent. Many parishes still exercise most of those options. Only the reading of the passion is changed because the Church offers a fuller presentation of all four passion narratives with our three year cycle.
What are the days that are coming? We will receive a new covenant from God. This is, of course, the New Covenant of the New Testament. (The words covenant and testament mean the same thing in this usage.) The Christian covenant is not simply observance of the Law, as precious as that is for our Jewish neighbors and friends. The Christian covenant invites us to eat the flesh and drink the blood of Jesus Christ. We have entered into an incomprehensibly deep relationship with Jesus and his Father through our sacraments.
To return to this theme of time: relationships also have their sacred moments. Nearly everyone remembers his or her birthday. The wise husband does not forget his wife's birthday and pays close attention to their wedding anniversary. He has no excuse for forgetting it; and remembering it under really adverse circumstances -- like his hospitalization or a financial crisis -- will demonstrate his fidelity. Likewise our covenant with Jesus Christ has its opportune moments; they must not be wasted. To do so is to risk insulting his cross.
How much worse punishment do you think will be deserved by those who have spurned the Son of God, profaned the blood of the covenant by which they were sanctified, and outraged the Spirit of grace? For we know the one who said, ‘Vengeance is mine, I will repay.’ And again, ‘The Lord will judge his people.’ It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.We enter this Passiontide with holy fear, that is deep reverence for what we are about to see. Do we understand everything about it? Of course not! Who can understand the language of love that Jesus and his Father use as he offers himself for us? It is beyond comprehension. Only the Spirit of God can interpret such signs, words and gestures. But we watch and witness in mute silence, believing that their love surrounds, pervades and penetrates the entire universe.
When that hour comes:
I will place my law within them and write it upon their hearts;
I will be their God, and they shall be my people.
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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.