It is always nice to hear when someone wins a lottery, accomplishes a goal or improves the world in some way by an invention. On the contrary, it is disheartening to hear of sickness and wars.
King Jehoiachin only lasted for three months as King and his successor King Zedekiah who comes up in our first reading didn’t last much longer. Why? My Israel as a people lost their relationship with God. What our readings suggestion is that the people of Israel lost their moral compass. God had sent prophets, but they were rejected. Just like any good father His patience had worn thin.
2 Kings 24: 12-14 Then Jehoiachin, king of Judah, together with his mother, his ministers, officers, and functionaries, surrendered to the king of Babylon, who, in the eighth year of his reign, took him captive. He carried off all the treasures of the house of the LORD and the treasures of the king’s house, and broke up all the gold utensils that Solomon, king of Israel, had provided in the house of the LORD, as the LORD had decreed. He deported all Jerusalem: all the officers and warriors of the army, ten thousand in number, and all the artisans and smiths. Only the lowliest of the people of the land were left.
One of Bishop Fulton Sheen’s famous quotes is, “Christianity is not a system of ethics; it is a life. It is not good advice; it is divine adoption. Being a Christian does not consist in just being kind to the poor, going to church, singing hymns or serving on parish committees, though it includes all of these. It is first and foremost a love relationship with Jesus Christ.”
All the leaders, artisans and craftsmen had been taken to Babylon. Only the lowliest of the people of the land were left” and from today’s readings, The commander of the guard left some of the humbler country people as vineyard workers and ploughmen.”
The rich and arrogant were taken in chains to Babylon and the humble and poor were the inheritors of the land. Look at the Gospel for today, Jesus said, ‘Of course I want to!” King Jehoiakim, his son King Jehoiachin and King Zedekiah wanted power and glory and were overwhelmed by the riches of Israel. They wanted it their way and not God’s way. Jesus wants to heal us of relationships, physical and mental ills.
If the people of Israel and their kings had examined their conscience and sought a relationship with the Lord God their story would have been much different. We can learn from their mistakes. Jesus still wants a relationship with us. He yearns for it. ‘Of course I want to!“
One of the men I work with is non-Catholic but he married a woman who is. He is very involved with Saint Mary’s, my Church, and his family. He has not had health insurance for 5 years. His family has made many sacrifices to give their children a Catholic education. He has just started having some medical issues recently. I have witnessed to him, but I don’t think he knows that Jesus wants to heal him, both spiritually and physically. For all of us, I hope that I remain with the humble and ask Jesus for healing.
I pray this for you as well.
God Love You Always
Bob Burford
PS: Please Pray for Cancer victims and their caregivers. Pray for the conversion of Russia and the salvation of the Ukrainian and Russian people and their soldiers. Pray for the Holy Land. Pray for peace!
