Wednesday of the Fourth Week in Ordinary Time

Lectionary: 325

They said, “Where did this man get all this? What kind of wisdom has been given him? What mighty deeds are wrought by his hands! Is he not the carpenter, the son of Mary, and the brother of James and Joseph and Judas and Simon? And are not his sisters here with us?” 
And they took offense at him. 

Long before Jesus' bewildered neighbors and family were born, Isaiah the Prophet had written:

Therefore I will again deal with this people

in surprising and wondrous fashion:

The wisdom of the wise shall perish,

the prudence of the prudent shall vanish.

Ah! You who would hide a plan

too deep for the LORD!

Who work in the dark, saying,

“Who sees us, who knows us?” (Is 29:14 & 1 Cor 1:19)

The Prophet and the Lord knew that the world's confusion was more than a matter of simple misunderstanding. The method in their madness was sinister and cynical. They could have and should have known better. Their god recognized the authority of the Lord and appreciated his mission; but, despite their loud claims -- "We are descendants of Abraham!" --  their god was not the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Their wisdom would perish, and their prudence would be shown as very rash. 

We should understand that the gullible can be misled by their own mimetic impulses. The Greek word mimesis provides the roots of mimicry, imitation, and mime (think Marcel Marceau). Mimesis is often unconscious, as what often happens when two people engage in conversation. If one scratches his nose, the other is likely to scratch his nose. If one crosses his legs, so does the other; and neither notice the imitation. 

That's how influencers and trend setters operate; they dictate what others should like and dislike. As when, several years ago, an ivy university decided to create a special event for its homosexual freshmen, expecting the standard ten percent; and a quarter of the class showed up. Being gay was the thing in those days; and still is among millions of gullible people who are misled and betrayed by cynical, sinister forces. 

Mimesis also explains the sudden appearance of "trans" among children, to the astonishment of their parents and grandparents. (Cultivated by online pornographers, they hide their nasty curiosity from their elders until they decide to come out.)

We have long known that a bad apple can spoil the barrel, and bad company corrupts good manners. But few were prepared to recognize the evil suggestions that come with degrading social media. Many people loudly insist they're not influenced by intrusive ads; and marketers are happy to let them think that way; which is why they continue to bombard us with commercials, ads, promos, coupons, discounts, sales, promos, and junk throughout the day and night. You may find their suggestion disgusting this year, but you'll get used to it in a year or two. By then today's unthinkable will be merely disgusting. 

Recognizing Satan behind his evil works, the Church continues to speak the truth about children, born and unborn; marriage between one man and one woman; and suicide, whether assisted or unassisted. Murder will always be murder, whether by criminals, police, ICE, or soldiers. 

Let us pray, beware, and notice when you feel a desire to scratch your nose. Someone may have suggested it to you.