Today at Holy Mass we hear in the first reading in the Book of Samuel how the Philistines defeated the Jewish nation…In this passage two great battles took place and the Israelites lost both of them…After the first defeat, the Jewish people thought if they brought into their camp the Ark of the Covenant, which held the Ten Commandments, they would be victorious….Interestingly enough, the second defeat was worse then the first, even with the Ark of the Covenant leading the charge….The story of the Jewish people in the Old Testament is an account very much like the nations of today, as well as the nations written about in the pages of history…It is a story of “Exodus and Return”…..How the Jews forget about God in their prosperity and because they forget about God, their society falls apart, only for them to experience a time of exile and suffering, followed by a return to God….In this story today, the Jewish people were “up against the wall”…The Philistines were a powerful empire and they thought that if they just brought into their camp the Ark of the Covenant, everything would be well…But as we know from the story today, they still lost the battle…..Why? - God is not interested in “lip service” or a “superficial show” of devotion to him…He is interested in an interior conversion of heart….Just because the Jewish people were carrying the Ark into battle, did not mean their hearts were transformed and focused upon God…..I do not know the mind of God but maybe this is why the Israelites were defeated…They needed to experience suffering, in order to be converted back to the Lord…How about us today?…Our world does not want to hear it!…….God gave us a Church, the Natural Law and the teachings contained in the Gospel…And all of these things are ignored……Society does not want to listen…..So what does God do?…..He allows us to wallow in our own misery - With the hope - And in time - We “figure things out”…..What needs to be figured out? - That human beings were born to be grafted into the life of God - Without God - No matter who we are, our life is not complete…We will never understand ourselves fully without God….And when words do not convince us of this reality - Many times suffering does…..Society today is very similar to the history told to us on the pages of the Old Testament…..Mankind never learns - We continue to experience periods of “Exodus and Return” as did the Jewish people…..God loves us and because he loves us he allows us to suffer when we turn our backs to him - In order for us to “figure it out” - As the great St Augustine once said - “The human heart does not rest until it rests in thee”….God “plays the long game” - He waits for us patiently to “figure it all out”
“Jesus preached the Gospel of the Kingdom and cured every disease among the people”
Suffering is apart of every human life, no matter who you are…But the goal of life should be to mitigate that suffering - Right?!?…If we follow the teachings of Christ, live by and through the Natural Law written on every human heart and abide by the eternal teachings of the Catholic Church - Our life still will not be free from suffering but as Jesus rightful said - ”My yoke is easy and my burden is light” - Our life’s choices will minimize many of the painful experiences our society goes through due to bad choices made…But sadly many today are not convinced……In the New testament Jesus tries to teach us this reality in the story of the Prodigal Son, which documents a cycle of redemption for a man who “left his Father’s house” and wasted his inheritance on a bad life….Only in time to “figure it out” - That his life with his Father was a good life after all…This in many ways is the story of us all…But sadly, for most of us. Words do not convince us of this reality - We have to experience the pain of being “distant from God” - What then convinces us? - Human suffering….The story of Jesus Christ gives humanity meaning to our “eternal dilemma” - How does mankind conquer death and suffering?….These two experiences impact all of us - And without Jesus Christ, who gives meaning to death and suffering, humanity to this very day is lost and scrambling for answers that cannot be found…….The sooner “we” figure this out” the better….Speaking personally - I “figured this out” by the age of twenty-two…I tried to approach life as a young man “my way”, only to “figure out” that “my way” does not work!……But guess what? - God’s way works!…..The Catholic Church has been around for 2000 years - That should tell us something - Its teachings are time tested!…And guess what? - They work!…..Jesus very clearly tells is in the pages of the Gospel of St Matthew….“Everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock. The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and buffeted the house. But it did not collapse; it had been set solidly on rock. And everyone who listens to these words of mine but does not act on them will be like a fool who built his house on sand. The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and buffeted the house. And it collapsed and was completely ruined.”…….Still don’t believe me? - The story of mankind is written and re-written on the pages of history books…Its a story written over and over again - Its the same story too - “Exodus and Return”….The sooner we “figure that out” - The better our life will be!
“If you wish, you can make me clean.”…..Moved with pity, he stretched out his hand, touched the leper, and said to him, “I do will it. Be made clean.”
Today in the first reading at Mass, we hear how the Jewish people were conquered by a pagan nation…..Many could read this passage from the Book of Samuel and question why God allowed this to happen - But the mind of God is far different from the mind of men - God is interested in our internal salvation not necessarily our comfort or our success here on earth….And many times this is why God permits suffering in our life - Suffering purifies us…Suffering gives us eternal vision…Suffering reminds us of our reliance on God…Suffering teaches us to be humble…I could go on and on…With God nothing is wasted - Not even our suffering…And this is why, if I were to guess, God allowed the Jewish people to be conquered by the Philistines……God works in and through the events of our life…Nothing happens without God permitting it to happen…And many times we will not understand why certain things happen in our life as well as in the many horrible events that take place in the world causing mankind to suffer tremendously - But know this - God is at work!…..Everything works towards the “Greater glory of God”…God gives man free will and because of free will, mankind can and does commit horrible crimes - But know this - God works through those events - Purifying us individually and the nations of the world……”I will lead the blind on a way they do not know; by paths they do not know I will guide them. I will turn darkness into light before them, and make crooked ways straight. These are my promises: I made them, I will not forsake them”…….Humanity needs to learn to “trust the process” - God “plays the long game” - He sees what we do not see….It all comes down to trust and if we are uncomfortable for a period of time - Trust that the periods of suffering that God allows us to experience in our life have a purpose - To purify us - To transform our hearts - To prepare us for eternity with him………”No trial has come to you but what is human. God is faithful and will not let you be tried beyond your strength; but with the trial he will also provide a way out, so that you may be able to bear it”…….God wastes nothing - Not even our suffering………….JMJ
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