Truth stands alone and stands still – Friday, 4th Week of Lent – Wisdom 2:1a, 12-22/ John 7:1-2,10,25-30
Read also https://www.pottypadre.com/spare-the-rod-spoil-the-child/ based on the Gospel text of today.
I cannot for the life of me recall ever reading this text from scripture. Yet for those who love the Lord, you have leant by now that God speaks to us through his word in his own time and says what you need to hear and not what you want to hear.
God chose to speak this text to my heart today, on my 53rd birthday and I want to break this down for you as a gift. He shares his word with me. I share his message with you and I hope each day you do the same by sharing HIS word fearlessly. Remember, truth stands alone and stands still.
We find ourselves living in a world where ever thing must be reasoned out and have a ‘convincing answer’. When applied to the Christian faith, ‘convincing answers’ are nothing more than a stubborn heart and mind refusing to accept the truth of God. They would gladly settle for the compromised and convenient ‘truths’ that the world would rather offer. Oddly, this is not entirely a malaise of this generation for the Book of Wisdom, written in the 1st century BC, was battling with a similar situation.
The author of the book of wisdom addresses the “ungodly” (1:16). That’s a tough word to use in a modern world that strives to be politically correct. The author of the book of wisdom seemed to care a damn for political correctness and threw it in the dustbin where in belonged. He called out the ungodly for who they were and did not seek to find a ‘pastorally’ acceptable or politically correct term.
At the heart of the matter, is the matter of the heart. While we often speak of thought that emanates from the head, it is the chatter in the heart that leads us to the fires of hell. Chapter two of the book of wisdom needs to be read in its entirety to understand the chatter of the ungodly; and boy do they have much to say!
It is they ungodly that want to “enjoy the good things that exist.” “Make use of creation to the full as in youth.” It is they who “want to take their fill of costly wine and perfumes” and enjoy every moment of every season. It is they who desire to crown themselves with rosebuds before they wither, as if rosebuds are going out of style and it is they who never cease “enjoying themselves.”
But while all this may seem like a ‘bit’ of self-indulgence, the sin of the ungodly runs deeper for their shameless eyes also fall on the poor and marginalized of society. Scripture tells us that not only do the pick on the “poor man” they do it knowing that he is righteous. They target the widow and disregard the aged whom they circle around like vultures, knowing their prey is weak and dying. They believe that might is right and what is weak proves to be useless (think now of the abortonist and those pushing the euthanasia agenda)
But their sin multiply when the righteous person stands up as a voice of conscience, or the good person becomes an inconvenient truth; standing as a beacon against their sins, calling them out in public. Hell, hath no fury than the ungodly scorned for now everything is fair game for them.
Read verses 12 to 20 and you can identify with the sufferings of Christ. It seems like this text was a prophecy of what Our Lord would suffer. But this text is also a testimony to those in the Church who have the courage to stand up and call out the sins within the Church. While it is fashionable to point out the sins of civil society it is anathema to call out your own.
When corrupt religious institutions, both systems and individuals, turn against the righteous few because they stand up and call out the sins of the institution, then moral standing has failed completely. Our Lord stood alone; he called out the scribes, the Pharisees, the Sadducees, the Sanhedrin and even the Chief Priest himself. Our Lord stood alone, as a voice of conscience of his day and for that he was ridiculed and mocked. The entire might of the Roman government was used against him. False accusations were brought against him and he was sentenced to death, a death sanctioned by the might of the religious institution.
Perhaps today we are no far from the same situation….but for a few good men and women.
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Fr… today’s comment on the first reading is powerful because it’s frank, bold and true. Thank you. It stirs my mind and provokes reflection.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU, DEAR FR. WARNER. You’re in my prayers today. God bless you.