“Return To God”

“A post-mortem is  an examination of a dead body to determine the cause of death.” Certainly it may help going forward, but the body is still dead and there’s no getting a “do-over”. The time to make changes is while the body is still alive. 

The Mass reading from Oct. 6^th was a passage from the Book of Baruch, written in the midst of the Babylonian Captivity. In some ways it was a type of post-mortem …..  Israel had turned from the Lord and suffered the consequences… the nation was caput. In Baruch 1:15-22, it reads:

• “During the Babylonian captivity, the exiles prayed “Justice is with the Lord, our God; and we today are flushed with shame, 
• we men of Judah and citizens of Jerusalem, have sinned in the Lord’s sight and disobeyed him. 
• We have neither heeded the voice of the Lord, our God, nor followed the precepts which the Lord set before us .…. we have been disobedient to the Lord, our God, and only too ready to disregard his voice. 
• For we did not heed the voice of the Lord, our God, ….. but each one of us went off after the devices of his own wicked heart, served other gods, and did evil in the sight of the Lord, our God.” 

This post-mortem is a chilling passage. It’s an honest assessment of a nation that turned from God and is now suffering the consequences. Israel had been a mighty nation when they followed the Lord; yet when they turned from God and his ways, they fell quickly. No nation, no matter how powerful, can survive if they turn from the ways of God… it’s just a matter of time.

At times our great nation seems bent on self-destruction, turning from the ways of God, from its Judeo Christian foundation. Continuing on this deadly path and it will not remain standing and will one day be the subject of a chilling post-mortem. Yet, in God’s mercy, it’s not too late. There is still time to turn from our evil ways and return to our Godly foundation. 

”If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” (II Chron. 7:14) 

Oh dear Lord, have mercy on our nation and this troubled world, help us to humble ourselves and return to you. May we each do our part to facilitate our turning back to you. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.