Friday, August, 7, 2020

Friday of the Eighteenth Week in Ordinary Time

(Nahum 2:1.3.3:1-3.6-7; Matthew 16:24-28)

In today’ first reading the prophet Nahum describes the ravage of Assyria’s war against Israel.  He mentions “plunder” and “looting.”  He speaks of “the flame of the sword” and “the flash of the spear.”  He does not hesitate to include “the many slain, the heaping corpses, the endless bodies to stumble upon.”  Seventy-five years ago the United States dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan.  In this time of mournful remembering, Nahum’s imagery conjures up those horrible events.

In a sense the atomic bombs were no worse – one might even say “not as bad” – as the penetration bombing of Tokyo and Dresden.  If not exactly targeted, civilians were not avoided in those devastating air raids.  Of course, the injustices perpetrated by German and Japanese military needs recalling in any account of war’s atrocities.  Nevertheless, the atomic bombs over Hiroshima and Nagasaki catapulted war into a new stratosphere.  These bombs not only killed and maimed; they also left their mark on future generations.  Children will continue to be born with transmuted genes. 

It is absolutely necessary that humanity strives for the elimination of nuclear weapons.  Christians can lead the way.  By denying ourselves, as Jesus exhorts in today’s gospel, we can show the world a better way.  What if Christians held ecumenical prayer vigils and peaceful demonstrations exhibiting humankind’s desire for nuclear disarmament?  Is it not possible that in time, with God’s help, these efforts have positive effect?

Thursday, August 9, 2018

Thursday of the Eighteenth Week in Ordinary Time

(Jeremiah 31:31-34; Matthew 16:13-23)

It has been seven-three years today since the city of Nagasaki was devastated by the atomic bomb. The ruin was calamitous – estimates indicate that a quarter of the population perished and a good portion of the city destroyed.  It completed demoralized the Japanese resistance which almost immediately surrendered to the Allied forces.  One might think of Nagasaki in picturing Jerusalem at the time of Jeremiah’s prophecy in the first reading.

Hope in the holy city is scant as the Babylonians have desecrated the Temple, killed thousands of people, and taken into captivity many other thousands.  “What good could possibly come of all this?” the prophet, a survivor, surely asks himself. But he does not remain in disillusion very long.  He feels the Holy Spirit welling inside him.  Like a musical round that refuses to leave one’s head repeating words of consolation, the Spirit speaks.  “I will write my law upon their hearts,” it says.  The people will never stray from God’s law again because it is to be engraved in them.  To the contrary it will bring righteousness to individual lives and justice to society.

The law of which the prophet foretells and Jesus proclaims is none other than God’s Holy Spirit.  Inscribed upon our hearts with Baptism, the Spirit prompts us to always do good, to avoid evil, and to love sincerely.  It has written counterparts in the Sermon on the Mount and other Scriptural passages.  But the New Law is first spiritual, intractable, and comforting even if it demands of us everything.

Thursday, August 9, 2012

Thursday of the Eighteenth Week in Ordinary Time

(Jeremiah 3:31-34; Matthew 16:13-23)

It has been sixty-seven years today since the city of Nagasaki was devastated by the atomic bomb. The ruin was calamitous – estimates indicate that a quarter of the population perished and a good portion of the city destroyed. It completed demoralized the Japanese resistance which almost immediately surrendered to the Allied forces. One might think of Nagasaki in picturing Jerusalem at the time of Jeremiah’s prophecy in the first reading.

Hope in the holy city is scant as the Babylonians have completely desecrated the Temple, killed thousands of people, and taken into captivity many other thousands as booty. “What good could possibly come of all this?” the prophet, a survivor, surely asks himself. But he does not remain in disillusion very long. He feels the Holy Spirit speaking inside him. Like a musical round that refuses to leave one’s consciousness repeating itself with words of consolation, the Spirit speaks. “I will write my law upon their hearts,” it says. The people will never stray forget God’s law again because it is indelibly engraved in them. Rather it will bring righteousness in individual lives and justice in society.

The law of which the prophet foretells and Jesus proclaims is none other than God’s Holy Spirit. Inscribed upon our hearts with Baptism, the Spirit prompts us to always do good, to avoid evil, and to love sincerely. It has a written counterpart in the Sermon on the Mount, but it is first and foremost spiritual, intractable, and comforting even more than it is demanding.