Fourth Sunday of Lent (2 Chronicles 36:14-16, 19-23) “History Repeats”
Fourth Sunday of Lent (2 Chronicles 36:14-16, 19-23) “History Repeats”
History is boring. How often do we hear people say that? But to appreciate history is important.
We hear that American’s don’t know history. At Texas Tech in 2014 students went out to survey their peers. Three questions were asked. Who won the Civil War? Who is the vice president? Who did we gain independence from? Answers ranged from “the south” for who won the Civil War to “I have no idea to all three questions.”
Also, in 2014 it was found that 18% of 8th graders were proficient in history. And 23% were able to answer basic civics questions accurately. We could think of Thomas Jefferson said once, “A nation cannot expect to be both ignorant and free.”
We have history in the Bible. The purpose for relating history is different than we might expect. The history in the Bible isn’t just a listing of names and dates, but it is telling the story of God’s relationship to his people. The writers try to answer the question of what we can know about God based on history.
We read a section from Second Chronicles today. We have several books in the bible that are a retelling of history. Deuteronomy is basically a retelling of the story of Exodus. Chronicles relates the story of the history of the nation of Israel up until the Exile. The writer reflects on what we can know about God based on his life in the nation of Israel.
In the first reading, we read from the last chapter of Chronicles. What we learn is an important lesson about the mercy of God. The writer relates the story of the exile in Babylon. Why was Judah conquered by a foreign power?
The nation committed several sins. One sin was the sin of idolatry. Israel repeatedly broke the 1st commandment. People put other concerns before their relationship with God. And several times they worshipped other God’s than the one true God.
Another mistake they made was ignoring the warnings of the prophets. The prophets told the people of Judah not to rely on military might or alliances for protection from foreign powers. Because Judah didn’t listen. The city of Jerusalem was destroyed. Many people were taken into exile.
The message being relayed isn’t just that sin destroys but that God forgives. God brought the people home. The nation was rebuilt. The chronicler reminded people that God will never abandon them completely.
Reflecting this history wasn’t just memorizing facts. No, the intent was to give people hope. The story of God’s mercy has been told repeatedly through time. If we internalize this story we gain confidence in the Lord. We are reminded by the Lenten Scriptures that we can rely on God’s graciousness. If we remember that one truth, we can’t help but be strengthened in faith.
Reflection Questions:
1. Have I sinned? What is an unforgivable sin?
2. Do I have confidence in the Lord? How can that grow?
Dear Parishioners,
We are taking pledges for our “His Heart, Our Hands” offertory drive. Lent is a time when we reflect on almsgiving. We have special drives like the Rice Bowl collection. These monies are sent to Catholic Relief Services. When we see the starving people of Gaza and those who suffer around the globe our hearts are moved. Catholic Relief Services is always providing help as such times.
We also have ongoing causes that support throughout the year. Hopefully, one of them is our parish community. Situations happen all the time that remind me of how important church is. Every week we have funerals. Some of these people are active church members, some are not. Many times, the congregation at a funeral has fallen away Catholics or people who have no religion at all. Some explored church membership because of the pastoral care they received.
Jesus depended on financial support from his followers as he engaged in his ministry. His friends gave him and his disciples lodging and food and monetary donations. While he was preaching and traveling, he had no chance to work. The church still depends on its members today to support our work. Please make your offertory pledge today. You can use the card you received or pledge at our website.
May Our Lady of Peace pray for our troubled world,
Fr. Mark