Judgment and Mercy
Jul 2: Tuesday of the Thirteenth Week in Ordinary Time
Today's readings speak about natural and human-caused disasters as the result of God's judgment. But God's judgment can also be paired with God's mercy, if we have faith.
Reading 1
Am 3:1-8; 4:11-12
Hear this word, O children of Israel, that the Lord pronounces over you, over the whole family that I brought up from the land of Egypt:
You alone have I favored, more than all the families of the earth; Therefore I will punish you for all your crimes. Do two walk together unless they have agreed? Does a lion roar in the forest when it has no prey? Does a young lion cry out from its den unless it has seized something? Is a bird brought to earth by a snare when there is no lure for it? Does a snare spring up from the ground without catching anything? If the trumpet sounds in a city, will the people not be frightened? If evil befalls a city, has not the Lord caused it? Indeed, the Lord God does nothing without revealing his plan to his servants, the prophets. The lion roars—who will not be afraid! The Lord God speaks—who will not prophesy!
I brought upon you such upheaval as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah: you were like a brand plucked from the fire; Yet you returned not to me, says the Lord.
So now I will deal with you in my own way, O Israel! and since I will deal thus with you, prepare to meet your God, O Israel.
Amos doesn't want to speak this prophecy. It's terrible for him and everyone he knows. But if God speaks, a prophet must listen and prophesize.
The prophecy is simply this: God favored the Israelites as His chosen people, and yet they turned away from Him to sin; therefore, they will be punished with the destruction of the city, like Sodom and Gomorrah.
Responsorial Psalm
Ps 5:4B-6A, 6B-7, 8
R. Lead me in your justice, Lord.
At dawn I bring my plea expectantly before you.
For you, O God, delight not in wickedness;
no evil man remains with you;
the arrogant may not stand in your sight.
R. Lead me in your justice, Lord.
You hate all evildoers;
you destroy all who speak falsehood;
The bloodthirsty and the deceitful
the Lord abhors.
R. Lead me in your justice, Lord.
But I, because of your abundant mercy,
will enter your house;
I will worship at your holy temple
in fear of you, O Lord.
R. Lead me in your justice, Lord.
The word translated as "mercy" here is hesed. It has a slightly more specific meaning than we have in English. It means one person is in need, and another actually has a the means to provide it—the hesed.
We need God for everything, but in particular, we need God's grace to avoid sin. God freely gives us grace out of His hesed, and thus we'll be able to enter into his house.
Alleluia
Ps 130:5
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
I trust in the LORD;
my soul trusts in his word.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Sometimes, trust in God is all we have.
Gospel
Mt 8:23-27
As Jesus got into a boat, his disciples followed him. Suddenly a violent storm came up on the sea, so that the boat was being swamped by waves; but he was asleep. They came and woke him, saying, "Lord, save us! We are perishing!"
He said to them, "Why are you terrified, O you of little faith?" Then he got up, rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was great calm.
The men were amazed and said, "What sort of man is this, whom even the winds and the sea obey?"
The word for “storm” here is more literally translated as “earthquake.” The allusion to Sodom and Gomorrah isn’t accidental. Nor is the appeal to Jesus. Just as Lot prayed to go for help, the apostles ask Jesus. And yet, they’re amazed when their intercessory prayer is answered!
It’s because they hadn’t yet fully understood1 the Holy Trinity. By asking Jesus, they are asking God to save them. That’s the sort of man whom even the winds and sea obey.
And that’s who we pray to, when we ask for intercession. God can cause an earthquake so large it upends a city, but He can also calm a raging sea.
Will He, when we ask? It’s impossible to know. God’s ways are not our ways. Still, we should thank Him for hearing our prayers, even if the answer isn’t what we wanted.
Well, no one fully understands.