Word to the Wise
Friday, October 5, 2007 - Twenty-sixth Friday in Ordinary Time (Bl. Raymund of Capua, reformist Master of the Order and friend/biographer of Catherine of Siena)
[Baruch 1:15-22 and Luke 10:13-16]For we did not heed the voice of the Lord, our God, in all the words of the prophets whom he sent us, but each one of us went off after the devices of his own wicked heart, served other gods, and did evil in the sight of the Lord, our God.
When movies are made (or histories written) of famous and terrible disasters, the screen writers or authors are challenged to write what they think the people (characters) involved in the events said and did. They rely on the experiences of those who were there and on other resources such as films, diaries,etc. The motives for producing such films or histories may vary. Sometimes they are produced to remind people of lessons to be learned. Sometimes the reason is simply because of the notoriety of the event and its potential for generating a handsome profit! In the case of the Book of Baruch, the motive appears to have been both educational and exhortative. The author is reflecting on the disaster of the Babylonian Captivity. Thus, the prayer is one that exiles would have said IF they had been able to celebrate a feast of penitence in Babylon. Baruch was known to be the "secretary" to the prophet, Jeremiah! Failure to live up to God's commandments is considered the direct cause of the exile. The words of the prayer seem familiar because in time of disaster people do ask, "Why me? Why them? Why us?" "What did we do to deserve this?" "How can we change our lives so as to avoid a future disaster like this one?" After 9/11 and Hurricanes Katrina/Rita, similar sentiments to those expressed in Baruch were readily available in the media and on websites and in pulpits. Sometimes the answers lead to reform and sometimes they don't. The reviews on both locations mentioned would be mixed! The crime rate and corrupt political life of New Orleans appear to be immune to even a disaster like Hurricane Katrina, despite publicly aired resolutions to change! The Lord is not going to vote in the elections! He can only send the Holy Spirit to some very resistant communities and individuals! The usefulness of publicly collective examinations of conscience is demonstrated when it generates grassroots movements for systemic change that move legislative bodies to enact the changes into enforceable public law. Otherwise the process simply results in movies and books. The same might be said of personal decisions, admittedly made in good faith, in the wake of individual disasters such as illness, loss of employment, accidents, terrorism, hurricanes,etc. The will to change and the action that makes the change is the best fruit of the event. Otherwise the movies and books produce momentary entertainment and disappear! AMEN
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