Tuesday, June 21, 2016



Memorial of Saint Aloysius Gonzaga, religious

(II Kings 19:9b-11.14-21.31-35a.36; Matthew 7:6.12-14)

Many see God as the author of creation.  They reason that there must be a first cause of the universe.  They also recognize that the physical laws of the universe are so finely determined that if they were changed a bit, absolute chaos would result.  Today’s first reading challenges the world to see God as the Lord of history as well. 

The passage from the Second Books of Kings, a history of Israel, relates a famous story.  Just as the king of Assyria is about to attack Jerusalem, he is turned back in his tracks.  It is not Judah’s army that stops the siege.  Rather a pestilence has broken out among the troops forcing a retreat.  Because God is viewed as the controller of nature, He is seen now as the Judah’s savior.  He seems to be in control of history as well as creation.

God works in many ways and always through secondary causes.  We see His hand in the downfall of the Soviet empire and the protection of tiny nations like Costa Rica.  We believe that God is bringing the world together in peace despite many regional conflicts.  He will use human agency and may not accomplish the task for millennia.  But because God loves humanity, He will see the various nations and peoples reconciled by the end of time.