Tuesday of the Eighteenth Week in Ordinary Time
(Jeremiah 30:1-2;12-15;18-22)
Society yearns for a savior. Not only religious people but, on a gut level, the common person know that humans cannot achieve happiness alone. For this reason “Hellboy II” has smashed box offices around the country this summer. The protagonist, who is deliberately portrayed as a Christ figure, saves humanity from Prince Nuada, the personification of evil. But Hellboy is an erratic savior. Although he performs heroic deeds, he also sets a poor example by cohabitating with his girlfriend. Even if Hellboy were historic, he would hardly be one to imitate.
Of course, humanity already has a savior – a historic person who has not only conquered sin and death but has left a legacy of wisdom. The world needs to turn to him and not be charmed by fantastic imitations conforming to contemporary social whims.
In the reading from Jeremiah today we hear again of the need for salvation. The prophet speaks on God’s behalf of the people’s egregious sins. They are completely incapable of repairing their fate. God, however, shows Himself as ever merciful. He will restore their peace and make them, once again, his people. We believe that God has fulfilled this prophecy in Jesus Christ. For this reason we devote ourselves to following Christ’s wisdom.
