Tag: Amos

Hosea 10: False Heart, True Heart
Hosea 10: False Heart, True Heart

Wednesday, December 21, 2022

A favorite from December 22, 2010.

False oaths, fake alliances, evil intrigues, any means to achieve an end: this is what Hosea sees in his community. The kingdom of David has been divided in two. Elijah, Elisha, and Amos have warned the people; Isaiah and Micah will add their prophetic words of warning. Hosea finds himself seeing clearly the devastation that awaits this false-hearted people, but he is ignored.

Yet Hosea persists, telling us that we are people meant to worship God, we are meant to take the yoke upon fair neck, to thresh, to be harnessed by the plow of the true God with a true heart. We are created to be workers in the vineyard, to sow justice and reap piety, we are meant to break new fields so that the rain of God’s justice might bring forth fruit.

Hosea warns that those who have sowed discord and wickedness will reap perversity and eat of the fruit of falsehood. Turmoil will break out among those who have trusted their warriors and chariots rather than trusting God. The fortresses carefully built against the needs of the world will be tumbled and ravaged; the false hearts who take advantage of the poor will be lost in the utter destruction. Hosea does not surrender to the pressures around him, he endures.

Like Hosea, we might want God’s justice to be clearly visible in the present; we may want all of Hosea’s predictions about false hearts to materialize in an instant. Those who seek a settling of scores may wish God’s integrity to rain down on those who sit on comfortable couches to contrive wicked plots. They will want to see a world of integrity replace the world of falsehood they experience. Yet this is the message of Advent: the one of true heart and true words, the one of promises kept and miracles revealed has come to live among us. Advent tells us that the possibility of living a genuine life is here – now – this day. We need only open our eyes to see.

If we are dissatisfied with the speed of God’s coming, or if we doubt that God is even here among us, we must look first to ourselves to begin kingdom-building. We must examine our own hearts to see if we remain in truth no matter the social consequence. We must cease the gossip, cease the controlling, cease the lusting after outcomes, fame, possessions, power and people. We must amend our ability – and our willingness – to ignore reality. We must change our hearts so that we do not succumb to the social pressure to acquire goods or supremacy. We must nurture our desire to share, our yearning to heal, and our aspiration for peace. We must ask God to transform the falsehood in our own hearts so that we might receive the goodness from his. We must be open to the reality of Advent.

In this way – with endurance, with fidelity, and with honesty – the prophecy of Hosea will arrive fully. And in this way the false hearts of the world will become the true heart of Christ.

Images from: https://www.flickr.com/photos/33649935@N00/galleries/72157626753383441/
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December 21, 2022

Amos, Elijah, Elisha, endurance, fidelity, God’s justice, honesty, Isaiah, kingdom-building, Micah
James 4:11-5:6: Arrogance
James 4:11-5:6: Arrogance

Sunday, November 13, 2022

“James now turns to three forms of arrogance which exemplify life according to the measure of the world. The first is the practice of slander against a neighbor . . . A second form of arrogance is demonstrated by those who make great business plans without considering the fragile nature of their own existence . . . Finally, with a prophetic rage like that of Amos, James attacks the insolence of the rich who withhold wages from their laborers. The security gained by such fraud is illusory; the rich fatten themselves for the day of judgment”. (RG 552)

God says: Gossip and slander are forms of violence just as deadly as bullets. They murder not only the other’s reputation but your own. With your words you pigeon-hole others and rob them of the hope of change. The creation of business without me is another form of violence. When you create wealth without including me you weave fairy castles of illusion. You pretend that you are responsible for all you have stored up and for all that makes you comfortable. When you rob others of their just wages you do more than demoralize them, you presume to set yourself up as supreme judge and arbiter. All of these – gossip, slander, living without me, taking from others what is rightfully theirs – are acts of violence against your fellows and against me. When you turn away from these subtle separations from The Way, you turn toward me. And I welcome you each day with wide and embracing arms.

Study the words of the prophet Amos. Enter his name into the blog search bar and reflect on how our modern lives might fall into the three kinds of arrogance that James describes for us.

Tomorrow, a prayer for arrogance . . .

Senior, Donald, ed. THE CATHOLIC STUDY BIBLE. New York, Oxford University Press, 1990.RG 552. Print.

Image from: https://yazrooney.wordpress.com/2012/09/17/the-concept-of-forgiveness-human-arrogance-at-its-best/
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November 13, 2022

Amos, gossip, slander, the rich, The Way
John 7:25-26: Can it Be?
Saturday, April 17, 2021

John 7:25-26

Can It Be?

Now some of the people of Jerusalem were saying, “Is not this the man whom they are trying to kill? And here he is, speaking openly, but they say nothing to him! Can it be that the authorities really know that this is the Messiah?

We have journeyed with the Prophet Amos to listen to God’s words and to reflect on the world’s woes. We have experienced Amos’ visions and seen the foreshadowing of the coming of the Messiah. We have examined life’s many pathways and determined how we might best live through the bounty or obstacles we encounter. We have opened our eyes and our ears to see and hear the Messiah.

On this day as we move through Eastertide, we wonder if is possible that the gift of resurrection might remain in us.

On this noon as we continue our Easter journey, we declare ourselves living in hope of Messianic transformation.

On this eve as we prepare for another Sunday celebration, we anticipate the joy of the Messianic feast.

Images from: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/428897564484295514/
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April 17, 2021

Amos, Messiah, words and woes
Romans 8:11: Genocide
Wednesday, April 14, 2014

Romans 8:11

Genocide

When the country of Rwanda commemorates its anniversary of horrific genocide not with more invective speech but with forgiveness and reconciliation, the people remember with a passion for mercy. As St. Paul reminds us, with God all impossibilities become possible. In Christ all hope becomes reality. In the Spirit all that was once dead comes to new life in Christ.

The one who raised Christ from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies also, through his Spirit that dwells in you.

And so we pray.

As we continue our journey through Eastertide, let us continue to change ourselves, to bring the light of change to the world, and to live always in the peace of the Living God who raises all death to new life.

As we continue to celebrate the Easter Passion, let us consider how one million dead in Rwanda now rise in the reconciliation of enemies, now live in the acts of forgiveness offered by victims, and in the repentance felt by murderers.

As we move beyond Holy Week, let us pray that we always hear the voice of God. Let us pray that we always see Christ’s light in the darkness. And let us pray that we allow the Spirit to move us as we put the woes and words of the prophet Amos to work for the Gospel of the Christ. Amen.

Rwanda hopes to rise from the ashes of their brutal history to be the light of remembrance, the light of life for Africa and for the world. Now the cleanest and least corrupt country in Africa, Rwanda is hoping to become the Silicone Valley of their continent. Listen here at NPR: http://www.npr.org/2014/04/06/299708652/20-years-later-rwanda-hopes-to-be-a-light-for-the-world

For more on finding grace and relying on faith after genocide, listen to an interview with the Reverend Celestin Musekura from National Public Radio. Let at: http://www.npr.org/2014/04/04/299054435/finding-peace-after-genocide

For a story from AP News describing Rwanda’s reconciliation villages, go to: https://apnews.com/article/719ac8f0c4da4d2b80976057d869562a

Or click on the image above to read an article in the Sydney Morning Herald by Daniel Flitton, and The Malay Mail Online.
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April 14, 2021

Amos, Christ as light, forgiveness, hope, reconciliation, Rwanda, The Living God, words and woes
Matthew 13:1-9: So Many Paths – Part I
Easter Tuesday, April 6, 2021

Matthew 13:1-9

So Many Paths – Part I

Amos has called us to consider what path we take as we live and work and play and pray throughout our life journey. As we reflect on our celebration of Easter resurrection and joy, let us consider the parable Jesus tells those who follow him. But let us begin with an examination of the journey we ourselves are making.

Some journeys offer too many choices. We become confused and anxious. We make excuses for never stepping into the world. We shrink from taking responsibility for ourselves. We refuse to see that we have a purpose, or we decide that we do not want to use the gift planted in us. When this happens, let us consider the number of times we have been saved by an unknown force in an extraordinary way. Let us take into account the fact that God knows every detail about us – even details we have not discovered ourselves. And let us determine to trust the force that loves us more than any other that has ever – or will ever – exist.

On that day, Jesus went out of the house and sat down by the sea.

Some journeys terrify us and we shrink from leaving our comfortable place in which have insured that we will never run any risk that endangers anything we stand for. When this happens, let us consider that Amos calls us to step away from a life in which we cling to power and wealth. Jesus shows us that we are not always shunned when we live a life that is out of the ordinary.

Such crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat down, and the whole crowd stood along the shore.

Some paths are familiar and famous. They look pleasant and easy. They lure us into a false sense of safety and sometimes pride. When this happens we are tempted to forget who made us and why we are here in this time and space. Jesus tells us that he comes from the Father who created us to unite us with him as precious Children of Light.

And he spoke to them at length in parables, saying: “A sower went out to sow”.

Some journeys are undulating and seem as though they never end. They look penned-in and boring. We think of them as predictable and un-exciting. When this happens, we must consider that we have no way of understanding the plan God has in mind for us. We forget that God has placed a potential and a hope in each of us that will heal the woes of the world. We do not remember that we carry God’s word and that no matter the path, God is with us to guide and protect us. What looks like a long and uneventful road may become instead an unforgettable journey.

“As he sowed, some seed fell on the path and birds came and ate it up”.

Tomorrow, So Many Paths – Part II

Images from: https://www.joe-ks.com/2012/amazing-paths
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April 6, 2021

Amos, children of light, hope, Jesus, journey, potential, seed, sower
Psalm 124: Contemplating Amos
Holy Saturday, April 3, 2021

Psalm 124

Contemplating Amos

Amos describes the effects of corruption and greed, and today we wait in hope for the triumph of mercy and love over these destructive forces. We await the triumph of life eternal over death.

Had the Lord not been with us, when people rose up against us, they would have swallowed us alive.

Amos warns of the danger that lies in complacency and comfort.

Had the Lord not been with us, when their fury blazed against us, the waters would have engulfed us.

We have the illusion that we have created all that we own and all that we are.

Had the Lord not been with us, when people rose up against us, they would have swallowed us alive.

We take credit for our talents and ideas.

Had the Lord not been with us when the torrent overwhelmed us; seething waters would have drowned us.

Let us give thanks to God the creator who has given us an abundance of gifts.

Blessed be the Lord who did not leave us . . .

Let us give thanks to Jesus the Messiah who remained to rescue us all.

Blessed be the Lord who is always with us . . .

Let us give thanks to the Holy Spirit who abides and heals and comforts.

Blessed be the Lord . . .

Let us give thanks.

Our help is in the name of the Lord . . .

Let us give thanks. Amen.

Image from: http://www.pinterest.com/rhondajoaldrich/healing-mind-body-spirit/
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April 3, 2021

Amos, comfort, complacency, healing
Amos 3-6: Words and Woes
Monday, March 15, 2021

James Smetham: The Call of the Prophet Amos

Amos 3-6

Words and Woes

Amos conveys the words of God in his prophecy. Put away black-and-white thinking. Step away from corruption and nepotism. Be open to transformation and redemption. Jesus arrives as the teacher who leads us away from dualism. He points out exploitation and favoritism. He rescues and changes.

Amos shares the woes he sees. The ease with which violence creeps into our lives. The mourning that threatens to drag us into darkness. The worship of little gods and the turning away from the Living God. The Spirit comes to abide with us, easing the pain of loss, comforting those who are crushed, gathering the remnant into the Body of Christ.

Amos tells us that there is much more to life than ease and comfort, power and fame. Amos reminds us that our real life lies in how we treat one another and not in the accumulation of wealth or titles. Amos asks us to move out of the darkness and into the light.

Christ comes to teach us how to live The Way. Christ steps out to lead us, taking on corrupt structures and power bases. Christ lives in each of us, renewing, recalling, and patiently ministering to our fears, wants and anxieties.

These are the Words of God conveyed by Amos. Jesus lives as the Word of God, walking and healing as he moves among us.

These are the Woes of the world as seen by Amos. Jesus comes to live among us and to remind us that trust in God alone prevails over the deepest and worst violence.

As we continue to move through Lent, let us pause to consider if or how we trust the healing hands of Christ.

Tomorrow, a Lenten prayer for understanding.

For a fresh view of Amos’ prophecy visit: http://jasonsoroski.wordpress.com/2013/08/20/unqualifed-the-story-of-amos/

Image from: http://www.artnet.com/artists/james-smetham/the-call-of-the-prophet-amos-o79LEkNxDOXiMmVWrrBNCQ2
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March 15, 2021

Amos, healing, Jesus, Spirit, The Way, violence
1 Peter 2:21-24: How to Suffer
Thursday, September 17, 2020

Guido Reni: Saint Peter

1 Peter 2:21-24

How to Suffer

“Peter is the saint in the Gospels who is most like us, the closest to our humanity, and yet also very close to Christ. We can always follow Peter. He always leads us to Jesus, he unites us to Jesus, because he never permitted his own frailty to separate his heart from Christ, even when he denied him”.

Dom Mauro Giuseppe Lepori, O. Cist. (Cameron)

We have been exploring the prophecy of Amos, a difficult and sometimes abrasive lesson to hear; and an even more difficult message to enact. Yet this is precisely the example that Peter provides for us today. A man who leaves all to follow the one who is all. A man who at first disbelieves the words he hears who eventually becomes so close to that Word that he gives even his life to live in eternal union with Christ. In this canticle from Peter’s first letter we find convincing evidence that we need to take the words of Amos to heart. We find the consummate example of how to live authentically, how to witness and how to find the narrow yet sure path that leads to God.

Let us spend some time today with Peter’s words in the first of his letters. Let us consider how these words call us to dissect the prophecy of Amos. And let us turn all of our suffering over to Christ who best knows how and when and why we suffer.

Enter the word Peter into the blog search bar to find more reflections on how this simple man calls each of us to a greatness that lasts forever.

Image from: https://www.wikiart.org/en/guido-reni/saint-peter-1634

Cameron, Peter John. “Meditation of the Day.” MAGNIFICAT. 5.9 (2013): 76-77. Print.
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September 17, 2020

Amos, Dom Mauro Giuseppe Lepori, suffering
Hosea 10: False Heart, True Heart
Second Sunday of Lent, March 8, 2020

Hosea 10: False Heart, True Heart

False oaths, fake alliances, evil intrigues, any means to achieve an end: this is what Hosea sees in his community. The kingdom of David has been divided in two. Elijah, Elisha, and Amos have warned the people; Isaiah and Micah will add their prophetic words of warning. Hosea finds himself seeing clearly the devastation that awaits this false-hearted people. He is ignored.

Yet . . . Hosea persists, telling us that we are people meant to worship God, meant to take the yoke upon fair neck, to thresh, to be harnessed by the plow of the true God with a true heart. We are created to be workers in the vineyard, to sow justice and reap piety, we are meant to break new fields so that the rain of God’s justice might bring forth new fruit.

Hosea warns that those who have sown discord and wickedness will reap perversity and eat of the fruit of falsehood. Turmoil will break out among those who have trusted their warriors and chariots rather than trusting God. The fortresses carefully built against the needs of the world will be tumbled and ravaged; the false hearts who take advantage of the poor will be lost in the utter destruction. Hosea predicts all of this and does not succumb to the darkness of the world. He does not surrender to the pressures around him, he endures.

Like Hosea, we might want God’s justice to be clearly visible in the present; we may want all of Hosea’s predictions about false hearts to materialize in an instant. Those who seek a settling of scores may wish God’s integrity to rain down on those who sit on comfortable couches to contrive wicked plots. They will want to see a world of integrity replace the world of falsehood they experience. Yet this is the message of Christ: God has sent one of true heart and true words, one of promises kept and miracles revealed. God has sent Jesus to live among us. Lent tells us that the possibility of living a genuine life is here – now – this day. We need only turn to God and to open our eyes to see.

If we are dissatisfied with the speed of God’s coming or if we doubt that God is even here among us, we must look first to ourselves to begin kingdom-building. We must examine our own hearts to see if we remain in truth no matter the social consequence. We must cease the gossip, cease the controlling, and cease the lusting after outcomes, fame, possessions, power and people. We must amend our ability – and our willingness – to ignore reality. We must change our hearts so that we do not succumb to the social pressure to acquire goods, dominance or a sense of superiority. We must nurture our desire to share, our yearning to heal, and our aspiration for peace. We must ask God to transform the falsehood in our own hearts so that we might receive goodness from God. We must be open to the reality of the Lenten message that all are welcome. Welcome into Christ’s own, open heart.

With endurance, with fidelity, and with honesty the prophecy of Hosea will fully arrive. And thus the false hearts of the world will become the true heart of Christ.

Let us ask for the coming of this kingdom.

Image from: http://fineartamerica.com/featured/heart-nature-mark-kazav.html

First written on Wednesday, December 22, 2010. Revised and posted today as a Favorite.

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March 8, 2020

Amos, Elijah, Elisha, endurance, Isaiah, kingdom, Micah