GOD IS GOD

 

The pope has said he will consecrate Russia to the Immaculate Heart of Mary tomorrow, as was requested by Mary at Fatima in 1917.  At that time Mary told the little children to request that consecration so that that Russia would be converted and a period of peace be granted to the world.  It was not done then.

I and many other people have been listening to the Bible in a Year readings; it is one of the most popular podcasts on the internet, in the world.  One of the most striking things you can’t help but learn from these daily readings is that God is true to His word, and that HE IS GOD, and must be obeyed.  We hear of the 400 years in Egypt, the 40 years in the desert, and many other things permitted to happen to HIS CHOSEN PEOPLE, because they failed to obey what He had commanded.  Sometimes, hearing those words of the Old Testament it is very good that Fr. Mike, who comments on them, keeps re-iterating that God seems like a mean God, but that He has to get it in the minds and hearts of the Jewish people:  HE IS GOD.  Yesterday we read in the Book of Joshua, chapters 6 and 7, how God commanded cities be destroyed utterly, “men and women, young and old, oxen, sheep, and donkeys”.  Fr. Mike comments on how harsh this seems to our ears.

God wanted nothing of evil cities to temp the Jewish people to evil, as they so often fell into.  He had demonstrated that in the past, how nothing of alien ways must come to His people.  Yet in Chapter 7, we hear the story of Achan, who admitted to Joshua that he had disobeyed the command, and kept “a beautiful mantle from Shinar, and two hundred shekels of silver, and a bar of gold weighing fifty shekels” and hid them in his tent.  So Joshua commanded that Achan and his wife, children, animals, tent, and those items be taken and “all Israel stoned him with stones, they burned them with fire, and stoned them with stones.”

Fr. Mike, who comments on these readings often notes how some of these passages seem like God is a very cruel God, but He brings home the point that God had to do these things:  the Jews just didn’t get it, and it had to be very strongly shown:  HE IS GOD.  You don’t disobey Him; you don’t treat Him lightly, you don’t ignore what He says, and you do fear Him --- yet know most firmly that He loves you and will never forget you.  And He is merciful, but HE IS GOD.

I’ve read some things which say that the pope has recently heard from advisors that it would be more politically correct and not offend anyone if he consecrated “humanity”, including the Ukraine and Russia, to the Immaculate Heart of Mary tomorrow.  The man Achan saved a few things which were pretty, why not?  And we heard the result.  Please pray that the pope and bishops do as God asked tomorrow, to do HIS will, and not to appease other men with what is politically correct.

Regardless of what happens, Jesus, I trust in You.