3 THINGS  TO  THINK ABOUT  

FROM  TODAY’S  3  READINGS  

INTRODUCTION

The title of my thoughts for this 20th Monday in Ordinary Time is, “3 Things to Think About from Today’s 3 Readings.”

Today’s readings have several issues that all of us need to make decisions about.

1^ST  ISSUE: HOW GOD OPERATES?

Does God take away our loved ones?  Does God zap people? Does God cause bad things to happen to good people? Does God go bad things to bad people? Does God try to teach people by sending them troubles? Does God tell people not to cry – not to feel the death of loved ones?

In today’s first reading from Ezekiel 24: 15-24, he says he heard God saying: “I am going to take away the delight of your eyes.”  This is his wife – who soon dies.

Then he hears God saying, “Groan in silence, make no lament for the dead.”

Then Ezekiel hears God saying that the people are going to be whacked and zapped and punished for their sins and evil doings.

If you are over 21 or 35 you’ve thought about how God operates and you probably have told others how you see God’s will working in our lives.

How do you see how God operates?

In the Our Father we say every time to God, “Thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven.”

We’re praying that God’s kingdom come, God’s will be done.

How specific do we make God’s will to be?

It seems that much of life happens whether we’re alive or whether we exist  or not. Life has been going on for a long time now. The sun rises; the sun sets.  People laugh and people cry. People celebrate births and scream at deaths. I had a funeral this weekend of a 45 year old – who died of complications from alcoholism and the death of an 101 year – due to old age.

Of course exercise and good eating and living habits work better for good health than if we overeat or overdrink or over couch potato ourselves.

Of course, we hear about great athletes falling over dead – sometimes after getting a great medical checkup or what have you – and an autopsy shows it’s genetic or what have you.

So the first issue is how God works: what does God’s will mean? How deeply is God involved in every specific event that happens in life? Does God cry when a baby dies? If God is all powerful, why doesn’t he prevent blindness and car accidents and cancer and killings and wars and random nuttiness?  If we want to be able to drive a car and it has a steering wheel – and we get distracted or fall asleep and we veer into the opposite lane and hit another car – is it God’s job to grab that steering wheel? What about people who enjoy a drink and they drink too much this specific night? Is it God’s job to notice all these things and to elbow someone else to notice it as well and get them to take away someone’s car keys?

We have to factor into our answer: mystery, freedom of choice, various scripture quotes that present contradictory answers to this question – and various other considerations.

2^ND ISSUE: DOES GOD GET ANGRY AT THOSE WHO FORGET HIM?

Today’s Psalm response is not from a Psalm in the Psalm book – but from a poetic hymn from Deuteronomy 32.

It’s saying that there are repercussions when we forget God.

Of course. But are the repercussions the ones we hear in today’s reading from Deuteronomy 32?  Does God get filled with anger and loathing? Does God provoke people – and get them to become filled with anger?

3^rd ISSUE: NOT LETTING THINGS POSSESS US

Today’s Gospel - Matthew 19: 16-22 - talks about a young man keeping the commandments – keeping the Golden Rule by loving his neighbor as he loves himself – but thinks there is more for him to do to be perfect – so Jesus tells him to  drop everything – give up everything – and not let things possess him.

Do we have here the heart of the matter – of what is the Good Life – that when things possess us – we walk around sad? In fact, when we pursue possessing stuff as well as possessing or controlling others – and not God concern for others, we will find ourselves feeling sadness – as opposed to gladness. Is this how life works?

CONCLUSION

When we hear the readings at Mass – are they read to provoke us – challenge us – get us thinking in certain ways?