We've all heard the armchair critic's complaint about the Old Testament God and his arbitrary, barbaric violence; as opposed to the New Testament God who is so nice and sweet. The comparison breaks down readily upon study of the holy Testaments, for we find that Jesus is the true son of His Father; and God is His true Father. To know one is to know the other.
As I read the Bible and read current events, it seems that God is no more vindictive than the humans he created or the freedom he gave us. Thank God we are capable of building safe, prosperous cities and nations, but it's invariably at the cost of violence to other cities and nations. The American empire has cost Native Americans and enslaved African Americans of the sixteenth through nineteenth centuries dearly. Not to mention the continuing exploitation of poorer nations by American industry, and the contaminants that have spread from North America to the entire planet.
Today's gospel describes the cost of faith in our savage world. The Maccabean widow and her seven sons pay dearly for their faith and the freedom to believe in the God of their ancestors, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. They refuse to surrender either to a savage governor and his popular administration. If other Jews had willingly abandoned their faith in God, exchanging their freedom for comfort and security, this woman refused; and her sons stood with her.
Catholics who read the two canonical books of Maccabees recognize the fortitude of Mary, the Mother of God, and of her divine Son. We pray that, should the terror come upon us and our time, as seems quite possible, we will be found worthy of their company.
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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.