A Bruised Reed God Will Not Break; A Smoldering Wick God Will Not Quench! (Isaiah 42: 1-4)

In today's Gospel, Matthew 12: 14-21, St. Matthew quotes the prophet Isaiah's description of Jesus:  "Behold, my servant whom I have chosen, my beloved in whom I delight; I shall place my Spirit upon him, and he will proclaim justice to the Gentiles. he will not contend or cry out, nor will anyone hear his voice in the streets. A bruised reed he will not break, a smoldering wick he will not quench until he brings justice to victory. And in his name the Gentiles will hope."

Those are consoling words in contrast to the message from Micah, 2: 1-5, in which the prophet issues a warning against the wicked of our world, saying: "Woe to those who plan iniquity, and work out evil on their couches. In the morning light they accomplish it when it lies within their power. They covet fields, and seize them; houses, and they take them; they cheat an owner of his house, a man of his inheritance. Therefore thus says the Lord: Behold, I am planning against this race an evil from which you shall not withdraw your necks; nor shall you walk with head high, for it will be a time of evil." 

In the Gospel of today, Jesus meets evil head on:  "The Pharisees went out and took counsel against Jesus to put him to death. When Jesus realized this, he withdrew from that place."

None of us will escape the evil that exists in this world. Every night on the news we are reminded of evil persons plotting to hurt another person, so it seems, or actually has brought evil upon another. The responsorial psalm of today's liturgy, Psalm 10,  also speak of this world's evil when the psalmist says: "Proudly the wicked harass the afflicted, who are caught in the devices the wicked have contrived. For the wicked man glories in his greed, (is this not what we see on the news each night) and the covetous blasphemes, sets the Lord at nought. The wicked man boasts, 'he [God] will not avenge it'; 'There is no God,' sums up his thoughts. His mouth is full of cursing, guile and deceit; under his tongue are mischief and iniquity.  ...[H]is eyes spy upon the unfortunate."  The psalmist then reminds us that God is not blind to anyone's wickedness or the effects of his/her wickedness upon another person, especially the poor and vulnerable. The Psalmist says of God: "You do see, for you behold misery and sorrow, taking them in your hands. On you the unfortunate [person] depends; of the fatherless [and motherless] you are the helper." God quickly comes to the aid of the poor and vulnerable of this world.

Let us never forget that God sees, God cares and God weeps with us! Though God does not magically destroy wickedness and its effects, God is there to walk through it with us, to carry us, if necessary. God is there to strengthen us, to hold us up, to bless us in ways that confound the wicked! It may seem as though the wicked are getting away with their evil intents and deeds.  However, God is a God of justice and at some point, here or hereafter, justice will be served to those who engage in evil! "A bruised reed he will not break, a smoldering wick he will not quench until he brings justice to victory." O, the greatness and the mercy and the love of our God! It knows no measure!

Lord, I know that you are at work in the "good Fridays" of our day, though I see you not! Justice will prevail and will triumph, as it did not Calvary. Jesus triumphed in the resurrection from the dead on that day; those who killed him walked away saying: "Truly, this is the Son of God!"

Acknowledging Evil and Seeking God's Mercy

In today's first reading, Daniel 9": 4b-10, the people of Israel acknowledge their sinful ways before the Lord, saying:  "We have sinned, been wicked and done evil; we have rebelled and departed from your commandments and your laws. We have not obeyed your servants the prophets, who spoke in your name to our kings, our princes, our fathers, and all the people of the land. Justice, O Lord, is on your side; we are shamefaced even to this day: we, the men of Judah, the residents of Jerusalem, and all Israel, near and far, in all the countries to which you have scattered them because of their treachery toward you."

This is our confession today, Lord.  We have sinned. We have been wicked and done evil: sold children into the slavery of human trafficking, drug trafficking, slave labor. We have sacrificed children, denying them the faith as we engaged in hedonistic pleasures and past times.  We have coveted our neighbor's wife and material possessions. We have cheated the poor and denied justice to the needy. We have destroyed Mother Earth by pouring toxic poisons into the universe, causing global warming and destruction of the environment.  We have turned to false gods for security and walked away from You in our churches and synagogues. Yes, Lord, "we the men and women of _______________, the residents of ____________________, and all of ______________________, near and far, in all the countries where your children are scattered have departed from and rebelled against your commandments and laws."  Lord, have mercy!  Christ, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!  Forgive me the times that I have contributed to the wickedness in the world, its corruption, its deception, its evil ways or denied the existence of evil or the truth that Satan is prowling the world seeking someone to devour.

Choosing Virtue and Rejecting Wickedness

In today's first reading, Ezekiel 19: 21-28, God reminds us, through the prophet, that, "if a wicked [person] turns away from all the sins he/[she] has committed, if [this person] keeps all my statues and does what is right and just, he/[she] shall surely live, ...not die. None of the crimes he/[she] committed shall be remembered...; [this person] shall live become of the virtue he/[she] practiced." And the opposite is true of the person who abandons living a virtuous life and resorts to a life of wickedness. None of the good that person has done shall be remembered and such a person shall die as a consequence of turning to evil and abandoning the good.

Those are strong words that speaks of God's justice. Good leads to an abundance of life while evil leads to death, the absence of life!  Abandoning doing what is right grieves God, who does not rejoice in any one of His sons or daughters walking away from a life of virtue.  God, I believe, weeps when we turn toward evil, lured to such by Satan's lies that such is rewarding, wise,  pleasurable and a producer of  happiness and security. Satan could not be further from the truth that Jesus teaches when He says: Those who save their lives will lose it and those who lose their lives in goodness, in virtue, in denial of self and in self-sacrificing love will save it! At another place in the Gospels, Jesus reminds us that when we  pour out their lives in full measure, we will receive the same in return.  In another passage, Jesus says to us: Do unto others as you would have them do to you!

May you and I heed Jesus' words and trust His promises of fullness of life to those who follow His way!

Wake Up; Call upon God

In today's first reading, Jonah 1: 1-2: 2, 11, the Lord said to Jonah:  "Set out for the great city of Nineveh, and preach against it; their wickedness has come up before me."   The wickedness in today's world also comes up before God.  Is it possible, as in the case of Jonah who fled to Tarshish "away from the Lord,"  that many people today are also fleeing from God, doing whatever possible to escape following God's will to address the corruption, the deception, the wickedness of sin-laden humankind?  Is it possible that the turbulence in any part of the world--natural or man-made "storms" --are the result of our having abandoned God?   Do we need someone, as did Jonah, to confront us with the question: "What are you doing asleep? Rise up, call upon your God. Perhaps God will be mindful of us so that we may not perish"  in our wickedness!

With the psalmist, in today's responsorial psalm, we pray:

Out of [our] distress [we call] to the Lord, 
and he [answers us]; 
From the midst of the nether world [of corruption, deception, and violation of law and of people's rights  [we cry] out for help,
and you [hear our voices].for you cast [us] into the deep [of sin-infested behaviors], into the heart of the sea [of an abundance of lies and abuses of power],
and the flood [envelops us];
All your breakers and your billows
[pass over us].
Then I said, 'I am banished from your sight!
...When my soul fainted within me,
I remembered the Lord; 
[Our] prayer reached you...'"

Lord, God, have mercy upon us who have strayed from the path of righteousness, truth and justice in the search for wealth or an abundance of material things and pleasures of all kinds, especially pleasure at the expense of the innocent.  Forgive us, Lord, for wanting things our way instead of Your way and the way Jesus modeled for us!

Smartness or Stupidity: Which Is it for Me/You?

In today's first reading, Galatians 3: 1-5, St. Paul is frustrated with the Galatians who have turned to the flesh and away from the Spirit. "Who has bewitched you, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified?"   Paul is having a hard time comprehending how people can turn away from a God who poured out His love them upon the cross, surrendering to the Trinity's plan of salvation even unto death.   Jesus held nothing back to redeem us from the law, which condemns us, and from the cruel deceitfulness and wickedness of the devil who will go to any length to get us to deny Christ and turn away from our salvation, to deny Truth and Justice, Love and Mercy.  Satan seems to be having a hay day in the world of today. Evil seems to be triumphing over good, as on that first Good Friday.  However, we know that, as black as Good Friday was with the Savior of the world being put to death as a criminal that day, death--evil--was destroyed on that day and resurrection followed.  Good is going to triumph over evil. The wicked will not have the last word. Jesus will! Good people will!

On whose side will I be that day? the side of evil or the side of good? the side of justice or the side of injustice? the side of honesty or the side of deceitfulness? the side of love and mercy or the side of hatred and mercilessness? the side of humility or the side of pride? the side of forgiveness or the side of revenge?

Where do I stand today?  The choice is mine to make in cooperation with Jesus, who comes daily to save us, not condemn us!

Guidance from the Author of Proverbs

Today's first reading,  Proverbs 21:1-6, 10-13, again instructs us, clearly stating what God expects of us as His sons and daughters, that is, what gives God pleasure. "Like a stream is the king's heart in the hand of the Lord; wherever it pleases [God], God directs it."  My prayer is that my heart and your heart are like streams in the Lord's hands, in that we allow the love of God, God's compassion and forgiveness, God's justice and truth to flow out of us into the hearts of others.  "To do what is right and just is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice," the author of Proverbs tells us.  I may think that I need to do this penance or that penance, treat myself harshly, endure strict fasts, and/or, for instance, sacrifice needed sleep to spend hours and hours in prayer in order to be "acceptable to the Lord."  No, Proverbs tells us!  What God wants is that we act justly and do what is right, as also emphasized by the prophet Micah (cf. Micah 6:8).

This passage of Proverbs also clearly speaks of what displeases God:  "Haughty eyes and a proud heart--the tillage of the wicked is sin....Whoever makes a fortune by a lying tongue is chasing a bubble over deadly snares. The soul of the wicked...desires evil; his [her] neighbor finds no pity in his  [her] eyes....A [person] who shuts his [her] ear to the cry of the poor will himself [herself] also call and not be heard."

Some questions that I need to honestly ask myself are:  Would I describe my behaviors as haughty or deceitful? Am I chasing bubbles or desiring evil?  Do neighbors wait in vain for me to show compassion and have pity on them when they are in a crisis situation? Have I shut my ears to the cry of the poor?

Choices in Life

Today's first reading, Proverbs 3: 27-34, clearly spells out the dilemma of the wicked and challenges us not to envy such, as he/she grows wealthy and piles on what looks like one success upon another and another.  "Envy not the lawless [individual]  and choose none of his [or her] ways: To the Lord the perverse one is an abomination, but with the upright is [God's] friendship. The curse of the Lord is on the house of the wicked, but the dwelling of the just [God]  blesses; when dealing with the arrogant, [God] is stern, but to the humble [God] shows kindness."

Whom do I envy and why? Whose goods/wives do I covet? Am I among the upright or the perverse ones spoken of above? How much at peace am I or am I a disturbed individual who seeks to escape his/her troubles by excessive drink, overeating, compulsive shopping or obsessively running after one relationship after another or whatever addiction that enslaves me?

The response to today's responsorial psalm, (Psalm 15) reads: "The just one shall live on your holy mountain, O Lord."  The psalmist goes on to speak about persons who are upright: "[An individual] who walks blamelessly and does justice; who thinks the truth in his/[her] heart and slanders not with his tongue. Who harms not his fellow man [woman], nor takes up a reproach against his neighbor; by whom the reprobate is despised, while...[honoring] those who fear [reverence] the Lord....[An individual] who does these things shall never be disturbed."

Am I a person about whom others would say these praiseworthy things?  Is the psalmist describing me/you? If our answer is "no," what changes do we need to make in our way of living?

A Plea for Justice

Again, today's first reading, Habakkuk 1: 12-2:4, is applicable to what is happening in the world of today.  Habakkuk is complaining to the Lord concerning the evil that exists in the world of his day. He says to the Lord, God:  "Are you not from eternity, Lord, my holy God, immortal?  O Lord, you have marked [evil men/women] for judgment, O Rock, you have readied [them] for punishment!  Too pure are your eyes to look upon evil, and the sight of misery you cannot endure. Why, then, do you gaze on the faithless in silence while the wicked man devours one more just than himself?"

Habakkuk's complaint is as true now as in his day.  Evil men and women "devour" others more just than themselves; they are, therefore,  marked for judgment--God's judgment.   The psalmist, in today's responsorial psalm, Psalm 9, reminds that "[t]he Lord sits enthroned forever; he has set up his throne for judgment.  He judges the world with justice; he governs; the people with equity," so unlike humankind's way of judging and governing.  Also, as Habakukk emphasizes:  God's eyes are "too pure...to look upon evil." This is as true today as then."The sight of misery [God] cannot endure" today  any more than in days of old.  The day of judgment will come. God will intervene in God's time and bring justice to this world, creating a new earth and a new heaven where justice will reign and evil will be no more!

Regarding Habakkuk's complaint, God responds as follows: Write down the vision clearly upon the tablets, so that one can read it readily. For the vision still has its time, presses on to fulfillment, and will not disappoint; if it delays, wait for it, it will surely come, it will not be late. The rash man/[woman] has no integrity; but the just [person], because of his [her] faith, shall live."  That promise will be fulfilled!  I believe that!  What about you?

A Weeping God

In today's first reading, Jeremiah 14: 17-22,   God, through the prophet Jeremiah, tells us that He sobs,"without rest, over the great destruction which overwhelms the virgin daughter of my people, over here incurable wound.  If I walk out into the field, look! those slain by the sword..."  What God sees today, I believe, are those slain by automatic rifles, machine guns, chemicals, and war machines of all kinds.  God goes on to tells us through the prophet that, as He walks around, He sees "those consumed with hunger"--hunger, I believe, for justice,  honesty, integrity; for compassion, patience, reconciliation, acceptance; hunger for hope and love and forgiveness! 

Humankind, Jeremiah says,  also responds to God in desperation:  "Have you cast Judah (put in the name of any nation on earth) off completely? Is Zion (or other peoples) loathsome to you? Why, [we complain,] have you struck us a blow that cannot be healed? We wait for peace [and justice and integrity], to no avail; for a time of healing, but terror comes instead."   Every night, as we watch the news with you, Lord, we hear of ongoing corruption, destruction, violence and hatred spreading across our land, our country and other countries!

With Jeremiah, we "recognize...our wickedness, the guilt of our fathers [and our own guilt]; that we have sinned against you," O Lord.  Have mercy on us, Lord. Open our eyes to the evil in which we may be involved.  Also deepen our awareness of colluding with others in their evil intent, especially when another's eyes are blind and ears deaf to the wickedness of their ways.

A Message from the prophet Micah

Today's first reading, Micah 1: 1-5,  I believe, applies to us today, as it did to the people of Micah's time.  The prophet Micah utters a warning to us in all segments of society in any part of the world:  Woe to those who plan iniquity, and work out evil on their couches [or behind closed doors]; in the morning light they accomplish it when it lies within their power. They covet fields, and seize them; houses, and they take them; they cheat an owner of his house, a man [woman] of his [her] inheritance.  Therefore thus says the Lord: Behold, I am planning against this race an evil from which you shall not withdraw your necks; nor shall you walk with head high, for it will be a time of evil. On that day a satire shall be sung over you, and there shall be a plaintive chant: 'Our ruin is complete, our fields are portioned out among our captures, the fields of my people are measured out, and no one can get them back!' Thus you shall have no one to mark out boundaries by lot in the assembly of the Lord."

Are we listening to the Scriptures?  Is it possible that persons whom many applaud and trust may, in fact, be planning "iniquity, and work[ing] out evil"?  Is it possible that people's inheritances may be in the process of being squandered by levying heavy tariffs on imported and exported goods--an action that may ultimately result in businesses and farms going  bankrupt?  Is it possible that building walls, demonizing our allies and the canceling of important legislature and treaties that protect our environment and our security may, in fact, result in evil "from which [we] shall not withdraw our necks"?

In today's responsorial psalm, we pray: "Why, O Lord, do you stand aloof? Why hide in times of distress? Proudly the wicked harass the afflicted, who are caught in the devices the wicked have contrived. For the wicked [person] glories in his [her] greed, and the covetous blasphemes, sets the Lord at nought. The wicked...boasts, 'He will not avenge it'; 'There is no God,' sums up his thoughts".

Lord, may we heed the warnings of the prophet Micah and take seriously the prayer of the psalmist!

Choices of Good or of Evil

In today's first reading, 1 Kings 21-1-16, we read about Ahab, king of Samaria, and his  wife Jezebel. Ahab wanted Naboth, his neighbor,  to give him his vineyard  to use as a garden, as it was next to the king's palace. Ahab, in turn, would give him another vineyard or simply pay him cash for the vineyard.  Naboth refused, as his vineyard was his own children's inheritance. Angry, Ahab refused to eat. His wife Jezebel engaged in actions of deceit, conniving to have Naboth murdered in order that her husband could take possession of the desired vineyard. She succeeded in her evil maneuverings!

Sound familiar?  Deceitful, wicked plotting to get what one desires goes on to this very day and many times such connivance leads to the loss of life--physical death, death of the spirit of an individual or mental demise! And though we may not be the actual person doing the evil, we may be an accomplice in the evil that is being planned, as were Ahab and Jezebel!

We are reminded in today's responsorial psalm that God does not delight in wickedness and that no evil person will stand in God's sight (Cf. Ps.5).  "God hates all evildoers," the psalmist reminds us, and destroys "all who speak falsehood; the bloodthirsty and the deceitful the Lord abhors."

All of us face choices every day of our lives!  In what kinds of choices am I engaged: choices that enhance life for others or those which destroy or diminish life for others?

Rescued from "the power of the Wicked"

In today's first reading, Jeremiah 20: 10-13, Jeremiah says to the Lord: "I hear the whisperings of many: 'Terror on every side! Denounce! let us denounce him!' All those who were my friends are on the watch for any misstep of mine. 'Perhaps he will be trapped; then we can prevail, and take our vengeance on him.' But the Lord is with me, like a mighty champion: my persecutors will stumble, they will not triumph. In their failure they will be put to utter shame, to lasting, unforgettable confusion. O Lord of hosts, you who test the just, who probe mind and heart, let me witness the vengeance you take on them, for to you I have entrusted my cause. Sing to the Lord, praise the Lord for he has rescued the life of the poor from the power of the wicked." 

Many of the just, I  believe, are being tested by today's administration. Evil will not triumph. Good will, as it did in Jesus' day. Those who put Jesus to death did not triumph; Jesus did in the resurrection to new life. Those unjustly treated by persons in power will also triumph. Those involved in evil will, I believe,  "in their failure...be put to utter shame" in time unless they change their evil ways.

The questions you and I need to answer are: Are we engaged in behaviors to trip up others, to bring them down and raise ourselves up?  Are we on "watch for any misstep" of another person, hoping that that person "will be trapped"  so that we "can prevail, and take our vengeance" out on them?  How easily in the political environment in which we live it is to take sides and hope that the side we oppose "will be trapped."  God have mercy on us. And God help all of those in public office to be awakened to God's will for justice for all and be given the power they need to engage in just practices and in legislation that promotes the common good for all peoples.  And may the efforts to bring other people down by false advertisements and slanderous statements cease!

The Fasting Willed by God

In today's first reading, Dt. 58: 1-9a, the Lord says to us: Lo, on your fast day you carry out your own pursuits and drive all your laborers. Yes, your fast ends in quarreling and fighting, striking with wicked claw....[T]he fasting that I wish [is]: releasing those bound unjustly, untying the thongs of the yoke; setting free the oppressed, breaking every yoke; sharing your bread with the hungry, sheltering the oppressed and the homeless; clothing the naked when you see them, and not turning your back on your own....

The Lord, I believe, is speaking directly to the U.S. and other nations that are quarreling and fighting about passing legislature that will "release those bound unjustly, untie the thongs of the the yoke; set free the oppressed, break every yoke; share...bread with the hunger, shelter the oppressed and the homeless; clothe the name...and not turn your back on your own."  Our government, I believe, is carrying out its own pursuits by oppressing undocumented immigrants brought here to the States as children. They "strike with wicked claw," I believe, by stealing money from the poor to line the pockets of the rich and then lying about the tax reform bill and the health care benefits they promise.

God sees through the lies, the corruption, the crookedness!  God reads hearts! God also sees the tears of the afflicted, the neglected, the sick and needy ones of our nation--those tears and cries of anguish pass judgment on those engaged in wickedness and who "turn their backs on their own."

With the psalmist of today's responsorial psalm, I pray:  Have mercy on me [and on the government of the U.S.];  O God in your goodness; in the greatness of your compassion wipe out my offense [and that of our government officials and all U.S. citizens].  Thoroughly wash me clean from my guilt and of  my sins cleanse me [also, Lord, thoroughly wash the U.S., its politicians and all U.S. citizens clean of their guilt and of their sins cleanse them. Turn their hearts away from evil toward good. May they repent and do good!]