Wednesday of the
Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time
(II Kings 22:8-13.23:1-3; Matthew 7:15-20)
A television drama portrayed a man who had gone to
Washington to read every book in the Library of Congress. When he returned home, he was asked to share
the wisdom that he gained. A crowd
assembled for his exposition. He began,
“I am the Lord, your God; you shall have no strange gods before me. You shall not take the name of the Lord, your
God, in vain.” Then the people joined
the litany. One person after another
recited one of the Ten Commandments. The
first reading today conveys this sense of rediscovery of ancient wisdom.
The high priest finds the Book of the Law, the first five
books of the Bible, in the Temple.
Evidently it has been lost or ignored for decades. The setting is the seventh century before
Christ. The Northern Kingdom of Israel
has been decimated, and Judah is constantly threatened. But at last there is a worthy king whose name
is Josiah. When Josiah hears the
contents of the Book of the Law, he is overwhelmed with a mixture of sorrow and
urgency. He orders that it be read so
that the people could once again find the way to righteousness. Unfortunately, Josiah will not live long
enough to carry out all the needed reforms.
Within fifty years after his premature death Judah falls to the
Babylonians.
New ways of thinking seem to make our traditional values
outmoded. Some people seem to think that
change always means improvement. Sure, knowledge
may enhance the quality of life for many.
But basic human values – love, truth, goodness, to which the Scriptures
testify -- remain the basis of a truly satisfying life. We too must continually scrutinize the Scriptures
and follow its wisdom if we are to find our way to happiness.
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