Homily: Fifteenth Week of Ordinary Time

Fifteenth Week of Ordinary Time (Isaiah 10:5ff) “A Nation Cut in Two”

Israel was divided into two kingdoms after the death of King Soloman. The northern Kingdom was the Kingdom of Israel. The southern kingdom was the Kingdom of Judah. The capital of Israel was Samaria. The capital of Judah was Jerusalem.

We find it hard to understand but these two kingdoms were in competition with each other. At times they took up arms against one another. We think of our country as being divided. Israel was very divided. The division caused the demise of the nation. Stronger nations conquered the Jewish people.

The first half of the country to fall was Israel. The Assyrians destroyed the northern kingdom. The Assyrians were known for their cruelty. When they conquered a nation, they tried to wipe it off the face of the earth.

The Babylonians came and conquered the southern kingdom of Judah later. The Babylonians were a little less barbaric. They carried a lot of the leaders of Jerusalem into exile. Some became servants of the King of Babylon.

The nation of Israel’s problems stemmed from two situations. The first issue was the fact they lost their religious fervor. They did not trust in the one true God. The second issue was that the nation was not united. The old axiom of divide and conquer came into play here.

Jesus once said that a nation divided against itself cannot stand. Perhaps he was thinking of this episode in Israel’s history. This is a sobering truth. We realize how divided our nation is right now. This is a dangerous problem. The people of our nation have argued before. We need to find the charity that Jesus espoused if there is to be healing in the land.

Reflection Questions:

1.    Did I know that Israel was a divided nation before the exile? What were the divisions caused by?

2.   Are there any parallels with what we see today? How might healing come to our country?

Dear Parishioners,

             I was speaking with the principal of Alleman and Seton Schools today. The new school year is coming together. We are still accepting new students. There is room in all the grades.

            If you have children or know children who are still deciding where they will go to school this fall, please have them contact the Catholic Schools of the Illinois Quad Cities. We would love to have more students for the fall semester.

            May Our Lady of Peace pray for our country,

            Fr. Mark