Famous Amos
July 12, 2024 at 9:36 a.m.
Think about your favorite movie, show, book, play – whatever story you want. Often in a good story, the reader/viewer identifies with the main character. With the good guys. For example, you read ‘The Lord of the Rings’ and are ready to go off on your own adventure, inspired that even though you’re not the biggest and strongest, even YOU have a role to play that can make a difference.
That might be your take-home the first time going through the readings from Mass this Sunday – Amos in the First Reading, and the Twelve Apostles in the Gospel, are sent out by God on mission, trusting that God will overcome any weaknesses, shortcomings, or inexperience they might have, in order to do something great, even if people don’t want to hear it – and he wants to do that through you too! If that’s what the Holy Spirit is speaking to you then great! But it could also be worth looking at the readings from another angle to see if he’s speaking to you there as well.
In the First Reading, we get an assortment of Old Testament names that we might not be that familiar with. Amaziah, Bethel, Amos, Judah. “I know there’s a brand of cookies called Famous Amos, but that’s about it,” you might think to yourself. So Amaziah tells Amos to get out of Bethel and go prophesy in Judah. At this point in Old Testament history, the kingdom of Israel (of which David was king, and his son Solomon had the Temple in Jerusalem built) has been divided into 2. The Southern Kingdom (Judah) and the Northern Kingdom (now Israel). Jerusalem, where the Temple is, is the spiritual center of the universe that God has established throughout a big chunk of Bible leading up to that, is in the Southern Kingdom.
Those in the Northern Kingdom, led by some pretty bad kings, basically say, “No thanks, we’ll go worship God in our own way, we don’t need THAT temple.” So, they come up with their own religious practices and customs, and even sprinkle in some worshipping of false gods because of the influence of the neighboring peoples. But God doesn’t give up on them, in fact he sends prophets to speak to them, to call them back to right worship of God. And spoiler alert, they don’t want to hear it, and consistently reject the message. That’s why Amaziah tells Amos to get lost and go prophesy in Judah, because the Northern Kingdom is doing its own thing doesn’t want to hear it, even though deep down they know it’s true. Then in the Gospel, Jesus gives the Twelve a heads up that there might be places that do not welcome them or listen to them, but he sends them, nonetheless.
For our reflection this week, instead of identifying with Amos and the Twelve, ask yourself: How am I being like Amaziah and the Northern Kingdom right now? How am I picking and choosing the things of God that I like, and making up my own version of the Catholic faith, which makes me feel good about myself without challenging me too much? Sunday Mass? Maybe I’ll go some weeks, if I’m free. I’m not really interested in Confession. Right and Wrong? Who’s to say? I think I have a pretty well calibrated moral compass. I don’t need to listen to what the Church says about what I can and can’t do with my time, body, money, etc. Ouch.
But if you’re so bold as to really examine your conscience this week and see where you’re in need of turning back to God, there’s always hope. We pray with Sunday’s Psalm, “Lord, let us see your kindness, and grand us your salvation” and in the Second Reading, we read that “In him we have redemption by his blood, the forgiveness of transgressions, in accord with the riches of his grace that he lavished upon us.” So let’s heed the words of the prophets, turn back to God completely, and then we’ll be much better equipped to go out on mission ourselves, that all people might come to know God in a deeper way.
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Think about your favorite movie, show, book, play – whatever story you want. Often in a good story, the reader/viewer identifies with the main character. With the good guys. For example, you read ‘The Lord of the Rings’ and are ready to go off on your own adventure, inspired that even though you’re not the biggest and strongest, even YOU have a role to play that can make a difference.
That might be your take-home the first time going through the readings from Mass this Sunday – Amos in the First Reading, and the Twelve Apostles in the Gospel, are sent out by God on mission, trusting that God will overcome any weaknesses, shortcomings, or inexperience they might have, in order to do something great, even if people don’t want to hear it – and he wants to do that through you too! If that’s what the Holy Spirit is speaking to you then great! But it could also be worth looking at the readings from another angle to see if he’s speaking to you there as well.
In the First Reading, we get an assortment of Old Testament names that we might not be that familiar with. Amaziah, Bethel, Amos, Judah. “I know there’s a brand of cookies called Famous Amos, but that’s about it,” you might think to yourself. So Amaziah tells Amos to get out of Bethel and go prophesy in Judah. At this point in Old Testament history, the kingdom of Israel (of which David was king, and his son Solomon had the Temple in Jerusalem built) has been divided into 2. The Southern Kingdom (Judah) and the Northern Kingdom (now Israel). Jerusalem, where the Temple is, is the spiritual center of the universe that God has established throughout a big chunk of Bible leading up to that, is in the Southern Kingdom.
Those in the Northern Kingdom, led by some pretty bad kings, basically say, “No thanks, we’ll go worship God in our own way, we don’t need THAT temple.” So, they come up with their own religious practices and customs, and even sprinkle in some worshipping of false gods because of the influence of the neighboring peoples. But God doesn’t give up on them, in fact he sends prophets to speak to them, to call them back to right worship of God. And spoiler alert, they don’t want to hear it, and consistently reject the message. That’s why Amaziah tells Amos to get lost and go prophesy in Judah, because the Northern Kingdom is doing its own thing doesn’t want to hear it, even though deep down they know it’s true. Then in the Gospel, Jesus gives the Twelve a heads up that there might be places that do not welcome them or listen to them, but he sends them, nonetheless.
For our reflection this week, instead of identifying with Amos and the Twelve, ask yourself: How am I being like Amaziah and the Northern Kingdom right now? How am I picking and choosing the things of God that I like, and making up my own version of the Catholic faith, which makes me feel good about myself without challenging me too much? Sunday Mass? Maybe I’ll go some weeks, if I’m free. I’m not really interested in Confession. Right and Wrong? Who’s to say? I think I have a pretty well calibrated moral compass. I don’t need to listen to what the Church says about what I can and can’t do with my time, body, money, etc. Ouch.
But if you’re so bold as to really examine your conscience this week and see where you’re in need of turning back to God, there’s always hope. We pray with Sunday’s Psalm, “Lord, let us see your kindness, and grand us your salvation” and in the Second Reading, we read that “In him we have redemption by his blood, the forgiveness of transgressions, in accord with the riches of his grace that he lavished upon us.” So let’s heed the words of the prophets, turn back to God completely, and then we’ll be much better equipped to go out on mission ourselves, that all people might come to know God in a deeper way.