9th Sunday after Pentecost 17.7.16 Weeping over Jerusalem
We feel a strong sense of sadness for the present state of the world - increasing violence on one hand; social and moral collapse on the other hand.
We have a double sense of sadness: one, for the bad news itself, such as people getting killed in terrorist attacks, accidents, disasters etc.
And two, for what causes the bad news to happen; which is the constant denial of God by the world.
The greatest evil in the world is not this or that disaster but Sin, the defiance of God Himself.
We will never hear that on the news.
And it is very common. A vast number of sins are committed each day, and for a long time past.
If we had never sinned we would not have all this damage, not even sickness or death.
Through sin death has entered the world (Rm 5,12).
People are aware of the suffering but draw the wrong conclusions. There is so much trouble it proves there cannot be a God, they will say.
What it really proves is that we cannot afford to ignore God!
The people also weep, but only for what goes wrong, not for what is causing the wrongness.
In their failure to see the true God they turn to false ones.
There will be more trouble as long as they refuse to learn. The Jews in Moses’ time did not listen (Epistle); nor the Jews in Our Lord’s time (Gospel); nor the people of our time.
Even if people accept the reality and the authority of God they might say that sin is inevitable. But as the Epistle says we are never tempted beyond our strength (1 Cor 10,13).
So we weep at both levels: for the trouble itself, and for what causes it.
Our weeping is not just lamenting, but also purifying; motivating us to make sacrifices for the sins of the world.
We put ourselves on the line to share in Our Lord’s sufferings. It is our major work in life, to assist in any way possible to call people back to the truth.
The message is, simply: Behold your God!
People generally resist this message, but we announce it all the same; if not by direct statement, then by our own living out the belief; and - through our prayer - building up a store of grace for the world.
Somebody needs to do this; to pray, to weep, to repent. We can do this for ourselves and others.
Day and night we intercede for sinners, for mercy. Every Mass is such a plea, for the grace that we can all see whatever error there is in our ways.
We maintain a sense of the urgency of the whole matter. It is a big problem, but it can be solved. Salvation can be achieved despite all the confusion.
If nothing else - if we do not see any success - we will be like old candles, extinguished in the service of the Lord.
Others can take up where we left off. Eventually God will intervene strongly, in His time.
While we are still alive we do all in our power to avoid sin, and call on the grace of God to bring all people closer to Him.
If others defy God we will acknowledge Him. If others insult, we will praise. We will be as humble as they are proud, as generous as they are selfish, as attentive as they are careless.
Eventually our suffering will be transformed: Those who sow in tears shall reap with shouts of joy! (Ps 125,5)
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