The readings today ask us to take a step backwards. We have completed the readings from the twin books of Ezra and Nehemiah and begin reading a few of the other minor prophets of the Hebrew Scriptures. The first of these is Baruch.
Baruch was an assistant to the prophet Jeremiah. The book is made up of four separate compositions which are somewhat disjointed and seems to be an attempt to preserve together several writings that would have been otherwise lost for lack of a place in the scrolls of the Hebrew Scriptures. Today and tomorrow, we will hear excerpts from two of the four compositions.
To place it in context, we must realize that Baruch is standing before the exiled king of Israel, King Jeconiah or Jehoiachin. At this point in the history of the exile, only the northern kingdom had been destroyed by Assyria. Jerusalem and the southern kingdom were still standing although their plight would be similar in the not too distant future.
The exiles of the northern kingdom have realized that their exile is a punishment for their disobedience, and through Baruch, they are gathering a collection to send to the high priest in Jerusalem. They ask that the money be used to buy animals to be used as sin offerings as a sign of repentance. Of course, the second purpose is to warn the people of the southern kingdom that if they persist in their ways, they too will be joining them in Babylon.
The Gospel for today also is a warning about sin, this time from the mouth of Jesus himself. He tries to warn the inhabitants of Israel that rejection of him is the ultimate sin for it means that they also reject the One who sent him.
If we didn’t know that it was October, we might think that these readings signal the beginning of Lent with its call for repentance. However, we all know that turning away from sin and repentance are not a matter of a mere forty days out of every year. A change of heart is the clarion call of the Gospels which open with the call of John the Baptist to repent. This is followed by the preaching of Jesus who urges us to heed the voice of the Lord which comes to us today. As CUSANS, we are reminded that we were formed to offer our sufferings and frustrations for the Church at large, in reparation for the sins of the world. The Scriptures today are a timely reminder of our vocation.
Fr. Lawrence Jagdfeld, O.F.M., Administrator