As for Me, I am in Your Hands

August 2, 2008
Saturday of the Seventeenth Week in Ordinary Time

Now, therefore, reform your ways and your deeds; listen to the voice of the LORD your God, so that the LORD will repent of the evil with which he threatens you. As for me, I am in your hands; do with me what you think good and right. Jeremiah 26:13-14

“…Mighty powers are at work in him.” Matthew 14:1

Piety

Father, I am in your hands. Help me to heed to warning voiced by Jeremiah reforming my ways and listening to your voice.

Study
http://www.usccb.org/nab/080208.shtml

Yesterday, the Good News taught us, “A prophet is not without honor except in his native place and in his own house.” Today, we see what can become of teachers when the people live down to that expectation.

Jeremiah, fortunately, was saved because the people listened to his warning and acted to save themselves. John the Baptist was not so fortunate. Instead, his execution foreshadows the state-sponsored execution of his cousin. John’s mistake was speaking “truth to power.”

According to the notes in the New American Bible, “Herodias was not the wife of Herod's half-brother Philip but of another half-brother, Herod Boethus. John told Herod what the ruler did not want to hear. Yet John was on safe theological and historical grounds when he said, “It is not lawful for you to have her.”

The union was prohibited by Leviticus 18:16 – “You shall not have intercourse with your brother's wife, for that would be a disgrace to your brother.” In addition, Leviticus 20:21 reinforces that teaching and states, “If a man marries his brother's wife and thus disgraces his brother, they shall be childless because of this incest.”

According to Josephus (Antiquities 18, 5, 2 #116-19), Herod imprisoned and then executed John because he feared that the Baptist's influence over the people might enable him to lead a rebellion.

After the execution, Jesus tried to retire and move away from the crowds but instead they pressed in on him to perform signs of his greatness. Up until now, Jesus was reluctant to perform signs for those following him. But, with the death of John, the narrative is set in motion. Jesus replaces John at center stage and begins to publicly carry out the mission his cousin began and that he was sent to fulfill.

Action

Global AIDS Bill

Congratulations! The 4,905 messages sent to Members of Congress via the CRS web site helped to pass the Global AIDS bill known as PEPFAR. The bill now will provide $48 billion for HIV, malaria and tuberculosis over the next five years. It also includes the following CRS and USCCB supported provisions:

Expanded integration of food and nutrition into treatment programs that will benefit people affected by HIV;

Resources to address the shortage of healthcare workers and strengthen healthcare systems;
A balanced approach to HIV prevention that includes support for effective abstinence and behavior change programs;

Removes language that would have mandated the integration of family planning and reproductive health services into HIV prevention, care and treatment. Such language would have effectively excluded CRS and other religious organizations from participation in PEPFAR and reduced the effectiveness of prevention programs.

The bill was signed into law by President Bush on July 30.

Read the full CRS/USCCB press release.