Memorial of Saint Irenaeus, Bishop and Martyr

Lectionary: 374

Then Jehoiachin, king of Judah, together with his mother, his ministers, officers, and functionaries, surrendered to the king of Babylon, who, in the eighth year of his reign, took him captive. And he carried off all the treasures of the temple of the LORD and those of the palace, and broke up all the gold utensils that Solomon, king of Israel, had provided in the temple of the LORD, as the LORD had foretold. He deported all Jerusalem:

In my reading of Catholic and Christian sources I have found few references to the sack of Jerusalem. And yet it is the most dreadful event of the Old Testament. We rightfully celebrate the wonderful events: the exodus from Egypt, the conquest of Canaan, David's united kingdom, Solomon's temple, and so forth. But we overlook that extremely important "crucifixion event."

By the time Jesus was born the diaspora of Jewish people throughout the continents of Asia, Africa and Europe was a fact of life. When Joseph and Mary fled with the Baby into Egypt, they followed in the footsteps of Jeremiah. Jews had first survived the catastrophe and then flourished in Egypt, India and Rome. The Magi were descendants of the Jews who were taken to Babylon where the Pentateuch was redacted and published. Jewish religion was esteemed for its moral integrity. Their learning was honored and their business connections, respected. 

The Jewish people do not forget their history. To forget one's personal history is to suffer amnesia; to forget one's cultural, religious history is infidelity. Catholics must retain and teach our history to each generation for our Mass, sacraments, scriptures and saints mean nothing to those who do not love their heritage. 

I sometimes cite events in the lives of the saints in conversations at the VA hospital and they ask, "Where is that in the Bible?" The question reveals a profound disorientation. They may have some knowledge of the scriptures but no awareness of the nineteen centuries that have passed since the last New Testament letter was written. They suppose the Bible has floated down from the sky, disconnected to any earthly reality; its stories as fantastic as X-men, Marvel Comics, the Koran or the Book of Mormon. 

If the news media with its ability to bring us live images of ongoing events from anywhere on the planet gives us any advantage over our ancestors it should be the ability to care for and respond to natural catastrophes and tragedies of war. We watch people being driven from their homes as their cities are destroyed. We see soldiers pillaging in Asia and Africa in the same ways they looted Jerusalem many centuries ago. We can read Jeremiah's Lamentations and the Psalms of Lament with deeper compassion as we hear the stories and see parents trying to protect their children. 

Our memories of the rape of Jerusalem should arouse an eager willingness to welcome refugees into our churches and neighborhoods. We know how they feel for our ancestors felt that way only twenty-five centuries ago. But they also felt that way as they fled the incessant wars of Europe, seeking a new beginning in North America. The Bible insists upon compassion for "aliens" for that is what you were in the land of Egypt.

When King Josiah realized how Jerusalem had neglected its historic religion he used all his royal authority over the magistrates and priests to set their religious and ethical practices back on track. He dared not waste the opportunity. Unfortunately he died young and his reforms fell short. He did, however, succeed in reminding his people how important our scriptures are. When Jerusalem was sacked by invading armies the rabbis grabbed every scrap of sacred paper they could find and took them into exile. They knew God was with them so long as they remembered their stories, laws, songs and customs.