Mt 20:20-28 The God That Will Not Die!
(Click here for readings)The mother of the sons of Zebedee approached Jesus… and said to him, “Command that these two sons of mine sit, one at your right and the other at your left, in your Kingdom.” …Jesus said in reply, “You do not know what you are asking. Can you drink the chalice that I am going to drink?”
Pope Francis is in Brazil with an estimated three million youth from all over the world. The New York Times mentioned nothing. The Dallas Morning News reported it on the very last page of their newspaper (page A14).
Whatever happened to reporters reporting the news?
Yesterday, I watched ABC news with Diane Sawyer. She interviewed a woman who had survived a horrific accident. Morgan Lake’s car plunged 40 feet off Maryland’s Chesapeake Bay Bridge into the water below after being struck from behind by a truck. Morgan miraculously survived the incident and attributed her dramatic escape from the jaws of death to God. Yet, you would never know it from all those stations and networks that deleted Morgan’s words of gratitude to God.
Why are atheists so scared of God, of religion, and of Jesus? Why do they falsify information by withholding information, even information that is key to the story?
Why don’t they say to their viewers: “Folks, we want to warn you, we edited all references made to God, Jesus or miracles from the story we’re about to share with you.” Sounds weird, doesn’t it? But at least that would be more honest than deliberately editing out all references made to God and not sharing it with others.
I first heard of Morgan’s escape on ABC’s World News. I heard no mention of God. But when I read the same story on FOXNEWS, then I became furious! How dare they do this to me! I have a right to know the truth, the whole truth! How dare they insult me and so many of their viewers? That’s it! No more!
The God who will not die. No matter how hard our society tries, God will not die! And believe me, throughout the centuries, heads of empires and heads of states have tried to knock off God in so many ways.
They have gone after God’s prophets and killed them, but God would not die. They have destroyed his synagogues, exiled his people, thrown them to beasts, crucified them and used them for sport. And still, God would not die.
St. Paul, in his letter to the Corinthians, explains: “We are afflicted in every way, but not constrained; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. …For we who live are constantly being given up to death for the sake of Jesus…” (2Cor 4:7-9).
In his latest spiritual book, “The Quest for God,” Paul Johnson, the great English historian, writes:
“Sometimes, even more remarkable than historical events are historical non-events. What matters in history is not always what does happens, but what obstinately fails to happen. The twentieth century is a case in point. Immense events took place during it. …But from one perspective – the perspective of human spirituality – the most extraordinary thing about the twentieth century was the failure of God to die. The collapse of mass religious belief, especially among the educated and prosperous, had been widely and confidently predicted. It did not take place. Somehow, God survived, flourished even. At the end of the twentieth century, the idea of a personal, living God is as lively and real as ever, in the minds and hearts of billions of men and women throughout our planet.”
Think about it, we live in a very God unfriendly society! Look around you: commercials ignore God; the news ignores God; schools ignore God; the State ignores God; families ignore God; and if that weren’t bad enough, the entertainment industry gets away with ridiculing God all the time.
How’s that for some pretty bad odds; and yet, GOD WILL NOT DIE!
It must be so frustrating for those who have dedicated their entire life to this cause.
Don’t they know? The Truth shall set them free.
Click here to read the articles that made this meditation possible.
gorgeous pic!
ReplyDeleteThis week I drove by a Public Storage facility with an interesting message on its block-letter sign. The words spelled out: WWJD Who Wants Jelly Donuts? Of course, most of us know that WWJD normally stands for “What Would Jesus Do?” I figured the owner was trying to be funny. However, it proved to me the heavy secularization of society – Not only our news and media coverage but also the businesses we patronize!
ReplyDeleteI don’t know if you read about the proposal by the military to appoint Atheist Chaplains. Evidently there is a strong need for trained chaplains to minister atheists (or so called “humanists”.) These people believe they are being left out. Why don’t they utilize counseling services for their problems if they do not believe God? It kind of bothers me any thought of pushing an atheist agenda in our US Military.
"What happened to reporters reporting the news?" It’s all about sensationalism and ratings. It’s all about controversy, perversion, and pushing media to extremism. These news reporters don’t want to offend the common atheist by mentioning “God.” However, they offend most of us Christians with their tendency to only report tragedies and controversies. All I heard on the news this week: plane crashes, train crashes, shootings, wrong-way drunk drivers, Zimmerman, that horrid NYC major candidate Weiner and his sexting scandal (gag!!), and William & Kate. At least we did get good coverage of Pope Francis & WYD on the Catholic media channels.
God will not die as long as we battle against everything contrary to what Our Lord stands for!
Have a great weekend!
Blessings,
-Jennifer