THURSDAY, MARCH 11, 2010 - THIRD WEEK OF LENT

JEREMIAH 7:23-28, 5:17-19          
         
        Thus says the Lord: This is what I commanded my people: Listen to my voice; then I will be your God and you shall be my people.  Walk in all the ways that I command you, so that you may prosper.  But they obeyed not, nor did they pay heed. They walked in the
hardness of their evil hearts and turned their backs, not their faces, to me. From the day that your fathers left the land of Egypt even to this day, I have sent you untiringly all my servants the prophets. Yet they have not obeyed me nor paid heed; they have stiffened their necks and done worse than their fathers. When you speak all these words to them, they will not listen to you either; when you call to them, they will not answer you. Say to them: This is the nation which does not listen to the voice of the Lord, its God, or take correction. Faithfulness has disappeared; the word itself is banished from their speech.

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LUKE 11:14-23
        
       Jesus was driving out a demon that was mute, and when the demon had gone out, the mute man spoke and the crowds were amazed.  Some of them said, “By the power of Beelzebul, the prince of demons, he drives out demons.”  Others, to test him, asked him for a sign from heaven. But he knew their thoughts and said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself will be laid waste and house will fall against house.  And if Satan is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand?  For you say that it is by Beelzebul that I drive out demons. If I, then, drive out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your own people drive them out?  Therefore they will be your judges.  But if it is by the finger of God that I drive out demons, then the Kingdom of God has come upon you.  When a strong man fully armed guards his palace, his possessions are safe. But when one stronger than he attacks and overcomes him, he takes away the armor on which he relied and distributes the spoils.  Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.”

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"Faithfulness has disappeared; the word itself is banished from their speech."  This line could have been written by a Catholic leader today and have just as much relevance as it did in the days of Jeremiah.  We look around our culture and ask, "What's wrong with the world today?  What has happened to our society?"  Indeed it appears that faithfulness has disappeared in many ways.  Couples no longer remain faithful to each other if it becomes inconvenient.  Catholics no longer remain faithful to Church teaching when it hinders their pursuit of pleasure or material wealth.  Faithfulness to God is secondary to building a career.  In fact, the word itself is banished from their speech. 

Think about that line, and not in the context of prayer in the schools.  There will always be prayer in the schools as long as tests are given.  But think about it in the context of your daily life, and the daily lives of those you know.  How often do we speak of God in our day to day conversations?  To be sure, some of you probably do talk about God often, but how often do we really feel comfortable talking about God with others?  How often do we even talk about God and our faith within our own families?  When we make decisions about our careers, our relationships, our activities, how often do you here it said, "I believe that this is what God wants me to do?" 

Faithfulness, obedience, fidelity, these seem like quaint notions today.  Do what makes you happy; look to what is most important to you personally; find what fulfills you the most; these are statements we hear given as advice today.  They aren't bad in themselves, but too often they are followed with a disregard to how my decisions may hurt others, or how this may be a hindrance to my spiritual growth.  That's because the word itself is banished from their speech. 

Solving all the problems our society faces is not an easy task and does not include simplistic answers.  We can make a good start, however, by becoming more faithful ourselves and allowing the Word of God to be an integral part of our daily dialogue.

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Lord Jesus you call us to nothing more than faithfulness, yet often this seems too hard for us.  Give me the courage to remain faithful even when it is most difficult.  Today, may I not only remain faithful to your calling but may I not be afraid to speak your Word to those I meet.