Word to the Wise
Saturday, July 30, 2016 - Saturday in the 17th Week in Ordinary Time
[Jer 26:11-16, 24 and Matt 14:1-12]SATURDAY, JULY 30, 2016. SATURDAY IN THE SEVENTEENTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME [Jeremiah 26:11-16, 24 and Matthew 14:1-12] The priests and prophets said to the princes and to all the people, "This man deserves death; he has prophesied against this city, as you have heard with your own ears." ....Thereupon the princes and all the people said to the priests and the prophets, "This man does not deserve death; it is in the name of the Lord, our God, that he speaks to us." Being a prophet is dangerous to one's health! Both scriptures today show this. The gospel scripture tells the story of the death of John the Baptist who was beheaded as a result of a drunken promise by Herod to his stepdaughter. The first scripture tells us of the threats made against Jeremiah by the existing religious authorities. He escapes by convincing the political authorities and the public that he is a true prophet (contrary to the ones who claimed to be prophets). Tradition tells us that Jeremiah was eventually martyred when his prophecies about the fall of Jerusalem came true. The role of a prophet is not to predict an uncertain future but a certain one! If the people are unfaithful to God and turn to "gods" of their own design, catastrophe will inevitably occur. The prophet's job is to convince people to return to their faith and its ethical demands or suffer the consequences. Since there are always people who have an economic or emotional stake in the corrupt situation, a prophet that attacks the corruption is going to be in danger. Sometimes I worry about Pope Francis on this account. In our own country, the example of Rev. MArtin Luther King, Jr. Is an example. South of the border we have Archbishop Romero. Martyrdom is not a quaint historical story. It is a present reality. God bless courageous prophets who speak on a braid level. God bless us lesser prophets who should speak out on the local level! AMEN
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