Monday of the Thirteenth Week in Ordinary Time(Click here for readings)
When Jesus saw a crowd around him, he gave orders to cross to the other shore. A scribe approached and said to him, "Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go." Jesus answered him, "Foxes have dens and birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to rest his head."
When things were easy. It was easy to believe in God in the good old days. A lot easier than today. I think it's all because sinners were a lot more obvious than they are today. Neighbor knew neighbor, passwords didn't exist, remaining "anonymous" was not even remotely possible. Relatives really knew their relatives and friends really spoke to one another. There was no texting to avoid face-to-face encounters, body language and voice straining. In other words, there weren't any good places to hide.
The Prophet Amos, aware of the sins of his countrymen, wrote the following: "Thus says the Lord: I will not revoke my word; because they sell the just man for silver, and the poor man for a pair of sandals. They trample the heads of the weak into the dust of the earth, and force the lowly out of the way. Son and father go to the same prostitute, profaning my holy name" (Amos 2:6-10).
Unfortunately, today there are plenty of places for us to hide. [At least that was the case before social media came into existence and reminded us of just how vulnerable we are to our mistakes.] The Internet makes it possible to visit a prostitute without anyone ever leaving their home. Personal electronic information allow criminals to commit identity theft without ever being in the presence of their victim. Drones high above us make it possible to kill a suspect without a drop of blood ever landing on the hand that pulled the trigger.
Our sins (and not necessarily our crimes), although hidden from the eyes of our neighbors like never before, remain visible to the eyes of God.
"Remember this, you who never think of God" (Ps 50:22a).
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