Daily Retreat 09/28/06
2006 Sep 28 Thu: Ordinary Weekday/ Wenceslaus, mt/ Lawrence Ruiz, mm, mt, & co., mts
Eccl 1: 2-11/ Ps 89(90): 3-4. 5-6. 12-13. 14 and 17bc/ Lk 9: 7-9
From today’s readings: “Vanity of vanities! All things are vanity!... Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain wisdom of heart..... Herod the tetrarch heard about all that was happening, and he was greatly perplexed....”
Tyrants’ Distress
When Jesus was born in Bethlehem, King Herod was distressed by the reports he heard about the newborn king, and so he sought to kill Him. Thirty years later, when Jesus was in the midst of His public ministry, Herod the tetrarch was similarly perplexed about what he heard about Jesus, and so he too sought to put an end to Him.
Jesus, of course, was no military or political threat to either Herod, or to any other tyrant, for that matter. But Jesus was certainly a moral threat, for His person and preaching directly and fearlessly confronted the evil lurking in each Herod’s heart. But the Lord sought, not the end of Herod, but only the end of the evil in Herod.
So much is similar in modern times, as secularism and every totalitarian tyranny still strive to eliminate Jesus and intimidate all His followers simply because of the same moral threat: the person and preaching of Jesus still seeks only the end of all inherent evil, and so directly and fearlessly confronts that evil lurking in every Herod’s heart.
Eccl 1: 2-11/ Ps 89(90): 3-4. 5-6. 12-13. 14 and 17bc/ Lk 9: 7-9
From today’s readings: “Vanity of vanities! All things are vanity!... Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain wisdom of heart..... Herod the tetrarch heard about all that was happening, and he was greatly perplexed....”
Tyrants’ Distress
When Jesus was born in Bethlehem, King Herod was distressed by the reports he heard about the newborn king, and so he sought to kill Him. Thirty years later, when Jesus was in the midst of His public ministry, Herod the tetrarch was similarly perplexed about what he heard about Jesus, and so he too sought to put an end to Him.
Jesus, of course, was no military or political threat to either Herod, or to any other tyrant, for that matter. But Jesus was certainly a moral threat, for His person and preaching directly and fearlessly confronted the evil lurking in each Herod’s heart. But the Lord sought, not the end of Herod, but only the end of the evil in Herod.
So much is similar in modern times, as secularism and every totalitarian tyranny still strive to eliminate Jesus and intimidate all His followers simply because of the same moral threat: the person and preaching of Jesus still seeks only the end of all inherent evil, and so directly and fearlessly confronts that evil lurking in every Herod’s heart.
posted by FrPitstick | 9/25/2006
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