What Could Be Our Excuse

 

We are ignorant of God because we are foolish.

Reflection on Today’s Readings, Friday of 32nd Week in Ordinary Time, Year I, Nov. 17th, 2023
Texts: Wisdom 13:1-9; Psalm 19:2-5; Luke 17:26-37 

What could be our excuse for not reigning with the Lord when He comes? Jesus Christ foretells, today, what will be the situation when He returns. The situation will be that of indulgence in worldly cares, pleasure and passion of the flesh. It happened during the time of Noah and time of Lot. Jesus cites examples of indulgence in pleasure and passion during the time of Noah. He says, “They ate, they drank, they married, they were given in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all”.  

During the time of Lot Jesus cites examples of pleasure and worldly cares. He says, “Likewise as it was in the days of Lot-they ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built, but on the day when Lot went out from Sodom fire and brimstone rained from heaven and destroyed them all-- so will it be on the day when the Son of man is revealed.” Such situation has recurred over and over again and we are yet to learn. Do we have excuse for not learning from history? It will not be an excuse. Let us not fall into the error of our forefathers.

All men who were ignorant of God were foolish by nature

Today’s first reading also reminds us that we have no excuse for not knowing God. The wise says, “All men who were ignorant of God were foolish by nature; and they were unable from the good things that are seen to know him who exists, nor did they recognize the craftsman while paying heed to his works”. We are ignorant of God because we are foolish; we do not appreciate wisdom. In our age we refuse to acknowledge God but rather acknowledge energy or invisible power. We give to inanimate object the glory that is God’s. That is our foolish in our age. 

The wise shows that ignorance is not an excuse as he dismisses what could be the excuse for it. He cites what the excuse might be, saying, “Yet these men are little to be blamed, for perhaps they go astray while seeking God and desiring to find him. For as they live among his works they keep searching, and they trust in what they see, because the things that are seen are beautiful.” He adds: “Yet again, not even they are to be excused; for if they had the power to know so much that they could investigate the world, how did they fail to find sooner the  Lord of these things?” 

The Memorial of Saint Elizabeth of Hungary

We are ignorant of God because we do not seek Him or desire Him. It is now time to wake up from sleep to seek God. It is now time to desire Him. We should not allow pleasure, passions and worldly cares to rub us of our future glory. Elizabeth of Hungary, whose memorial is today, is an example for us. “She frequently meditated on heavenly things and when her husband died she embraced poverty and built a hospice in which she cared for the sick herself” (Universalis). 

Prayer  

O God, by whose gift Saint Elizabeth of Hungary recognized and revered Christ in the poor, grant, through her intercession, that we may serve with unfailing charity the needy and those afflicted. Amen (Collect) 

Fr. Andrew Olowomuke