Top 8 distractions at Holy Mass--please help?
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“Fear not, I am with you; be not dismayed; I am your God.
I will strengthen you, and help you,
and uphold you with my right hand of justice.”
– St. John Paul II
If we were a praying mantis or black widow spider, it would be socially acceptable to devour our mates. However, the Bible says humans are made in the image and likeness of God, Genesis 1:26. Moreover, the law of God is written on our hearts, see Romans 2:15, Hebrews 10:16 and Jeremiah 31:33. Ergo, we are born with an innate understanding of prudence and justice. So why do humans disagree on the definition of good and evil?
If God knew all this was coming, what was His master plan?
Since Adam and Eve's fall, man constantly redefines good and evil at the expense of others. The weaker someone is, the easier it is to take advantage. So God, to be crystal clear, spelled out the 10 commandments in Exodus 20. Later, American founders were forced to spell it out again in the Declaration of Independence with "all men are created equal." Still, we miss the mark. We think we practice dignity and fairness, but instead we point fingers and demand justice which we incorrectly defined as retribution.
What is the Biblical definition of justice?
The Hebrew translation of justice is "mishpat" which means restoration or actively seeking wholeness. This is difficult to define. Indirectly, it means finding the disadvantaged and providing help. Zooming out, Christians call this "charity"? But mishpat involves so much more. It means changing the social structures to prevent injustice. How do we enforce morality? The answer is we can't. God the gentleman gave us free will to choose Him. But not everyone does, enter Lucifer. In our earthly test for holiness, God has left us clues. The hunt for answers isn't Pokemon-GO, it's Biblical. It's up to us to define boundaries and stop infringement.
In Hebrew, wicked translates to "rashah" meaning guilty or in the wrong. It refers to someone who mistreats another, ignoring their dignity and likeness of God. God has our backs, the Bible is overflowing with hacks. Why else would He tell us 365 times, "do not be afraid"?
Why doesn't God step in to fix injustice?
1. He did. God saw a holy man named Abram who had a good grasp on righteousness. He worked with him to start a new kind of family. Fast forward, Egypt took advantage of Abraham's honesty and oppressed his tribe into slavery.
2. After 430 years, God smote Egypt's injustice and rescued Egypt's slaves. The irony is the freed people committed similar injustices against their vulnerable. Again, God stepped in...
3. God sent prophets to warn us against this. Whether active or passive, all of us reap benefits from unjust social structures that we take for granted. Look at the tax code. History repeats itself when the oppressed gain power--if in turn--they oppress. Ultimately, sin is when we all participate in injustice. We are complicit in guilt when we are silent or do nothing to help each other. When all else fails, at the very least, we can pray, fast and give alms. But, we didn't, so again, God stepped in...
4. God's response to our injustice was Jesus. He was sinless yet he died for the guilty. The earliest followers of Jesus experienced the Holy Spirit's power to change lives. We too, are asked to act in new ways. While it's not convenient or easy, it is about taking on other people's problems--like those of our mate. This is what Jesus meant by loving thy neighbors as ourselves. It is a lifetime commitment fueled in Micah 6:8, "God has told us what is good and what He requires of us. It is to do justice, [restoration] to love mercy and to walk humbly with our God."
When is it socially acceptable to devour our mate?
Devouring mates or anyone else--is not helpful. We chose our mates with our free will. Then our mate dances on that last nerve and explosions erupt. How do we respond? We hold grudges and wallow in our anger. This is exactly what satan wants. Rather than attack the person, let us review the rules or laws that were broken. What was the specific commandment? Was there a misunderstanding of its meaning? What or who is the missing variable that restores the problem? Remember the mishpat translation--to stop and seek the true meaning of justice. Rather than seek retribution and have the demons laugh at us, our goal is righteousness and conforming to God's will. With any injustice to us, love is best used to help right our wrongs. With others, we are to pray. Ultimately, we want to be able to forgive whether through direct or indirect communication or prayer/fasting/alms. Maybe some space is best at this time, to ponder and pray. The quickest way back into God's heart is restoration--using his laws, clues and hints. If we demand retribution, we are in the wrong and rescind our fiat to God--as we are can never be sole judge and jury. Relationships are like rock tumbling machines--they polish our rough edges. They also help reduce purgatory if we carry our crosses well. God's plan may be to use our good examples to bring other souls to Him, just as our perfect Jesus was the catalyst to bring our souls to righteousness. He will help but only if we ask. Perhaps, we and our mates could ask Him together?
Sources:
Justice and Rights | St Andrews Encyclopedia of Theology
Video (6.5 minutes) Justice: This Is the Bible's Radical View | YouTube
Science cannot explain suffering. As Lay Passionist and nurse, she challenges modern health care assumptions; contraception, abortion, euthanasia, herd immunity and more. Behind every health dilemma, God asks us to abide in Him. Author of 7 books & >20 peer-reviewed nursing journal articles; she also writes as "The Catholic Nurse" on Substack, see "Archives." She is a veteran of the Army Nurse Corps. Her primary charism is mercy through which she explores redemptive suffering, spiritual healing and the joy of bringing of souls to God.
