A
new king, who knew nothing of Joseph, came to power in Egypt. He said to his
subjects, “Look how numerous and powerful the people of the children of Israel
are growing, more so than we ourselves! Come, let us deal shrewdly with them to
stop their increase; otherwise, in time of war they too may join our enemies to
fight against us, and so leave our country.” Exodus 1:8-10
“Whoever
loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son
or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and whoever does not take up his
cross and follow after me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose
it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.” Matthew 10:37-39
Piety
Father, we are too interested in finding our
life comfortable. Help us to give us
those creature comforts that are obstacles to following Jesus.
Study
Have you ever gone out to preach to someone
to change their behavior? Maybe they eat
too much, drink too much, exercise too little, spend money frivolously, waste
time in front of the television, or spend all their time with their eyes on
little screens and not on the prize.
“So they went off and preached repentance.”
Preaching is an act that is not usually or
always accepted. Chances are pretty good that the disciples
encountered the same reluctance and fear and opposition that we might face
today. Preaching repentance/change can
be a threat. Certainly, the way the children
of Israel were growing threatened the pharaoh.
The reading from Exodus shows that the
growing faith community of the Jews in Egypt threatened the king. The notes in the New American Bible for the
first reading explain that “The idea may be not simply that a new king came to
power who had not heard of Joseph but that this king ignored the services that
Joseph had rendered to Egypt, repudiating the special relationship that existed
between Joseph and his predecessor on the throne.” By forgetting any special relationship, he
could then inflict whatever punishment on the Jews with impunity. Pharaoh’s next order is to slaughter the
innocent boys born to Jewish families – a foreshadowing of Herod’s order after the
birth of the Christ-child. Doing so, he firmly acts against God’s will and
promise to Abraham -- for the Israelites to multiply.
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Action
War.
Poverty.
Racism.
Abortion.
Immigration.
Capital Punishment.
Euthanasia.
Birth Control.
Environmental Destruction.
Injustice.
The list could go on but the Catholic Church
has numerous positions on issues like these which put it at odds with the direction
of civil society not just in the United States but also in Europe, Latin
America and around the world. Sometimes,
it seems like these positions are still voices crying out in the wilderness.
Sometimes, these positions also cause discord
within the members of the Church as well.
Pope Francis just finished a trip through
three Latin American countries. Some see
this as a dress rehearsal for the kinds of messages which @Pontifex may deliver
in September when he comes to Washington, DC and Philadelphia.
Pope Francis concluded his South American visit
with a stop in Banado Norte, a village near Paraguay's capital Asuncion where
about 1,500 families live in extreme poverty.
He also will visit the halls of power and poverty when he comes to the
U.S. this fall.
Among the messages he delivered while going
out to preach was what America magazine dubbed his strongest call yet for
“structural change” in the way the world’s economy is run. Pope Francis said that the present system
“runs counter to the plan of Jesus.” And he appealed to people everywhere
“in the name of God” to mobilize to protect “our common home.”
How have you been reacting to the preaching
you hear from Rome and from home?
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