A man came up to Jesus, knelt down before him, and said, “Lord, have pity on my son, who is a lunatic and suffers severely; often he falls into fire, and often into water. I brought him to your disciples, but they could not cure him.”
In today's first reading from the Book of Deuteronomy, Moses urged the Hebrews to love God with all your heart, soul, and strength. He wanted them not only to "take these words to heart," but they must also "drill them into your children."
I suppose the word drill refers to the teaching technique to repetition as in fire drill, spelling drill, and military drills. But the image of an electric drill is not entirely inappropriate. Children must learn this!
Failing that, they might suffer the torments we hear of in today's second reading: lunacy, severe suffering, and frequent falls into fire or water.
The story sound all too familiar. Firewater is a popular pseudonym for alcohol, especially vodka with its clear, watery appearance. Today's children have the choice of firewater or drugs (legal, illegal, and sort-of-illegal). And lunacy describes the behavior of many people.
Deuteronomy was written after the Jews returned from exile in Babylonian captivity. Except for a brief moment of independence following the Maccabean revolution, they would never be a free, independent nation again. They would be ruled by gentiles with alien gods and strange customs, entertainments, and values. Their temple services were limited to the "second temple" in Jerusalem; the rest of their religious practices would be in local synagogues and the home.
If they failed to practice their religion within their homes, knowledge of God would cease; and the history of deliverance, freedom, identity, and integrity was over.
Ideologies have largely displaced religions today, and many people suppose they have no need for religion. I meet many Veterans who attended twelve years of Catholic schooling in Louisville, Kentucky; and have virtually no knowledge of God. Their religious education stopped after the twelfth grade; their spiritual formation apparently ceased before that. Amid the opportunities of free love, alcohol, marijuana, and LSD in the sixties and seventies, God disappeared.
From my perspective in the hospital, the situation has only worsened. My baby boom generation did not know the drill, nor did they drill anything into their children. Some don't know their children. But I do meet their children; they're listed as "Catholic" although they know less about Catholicism than I know about Shinto.
We must restore the virtue of religion. We should not accept any notion of "spiritual but not religious." That fallacy is idolatry at best; and Moses knew all about idolatry. As did Jesus.
Our children should know that Catholicism is the trunk of a spiritual tree; there is no Christianity without it. The One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church keeps the faith; others pick and choose what they might want to believe. Protestant reading of the Bible is admirable although few bend the knee at the name of Jesus, or beat their breasts when he is held aloft before them. Few of their services include ashes, incense, or candles: and not many of their ministers wear stoles.
Someone asked me, "How does Catholicism compare to Buddhism?" I replied simply, "It doesn't." We and our children should repeat what Peter said to the leaders, elders, and scribes of Jerusalem,
...you and all the people of Israel should know that it was in the name of Jesus Christ the Nazorean whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead; in his name this man stands before you healed.
He is ‘the stone rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone.’ There is no salvation through anyone else, nor is there any other name under heaven given to the human race by which we are to be saved.”
If that word is not drilled into our children and grandchildren, we should expect only lunacy, fire, and water.
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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.