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JMJ
The Readings for the 5th Thursday of Ordinary Time (B2)
Tunc aedificavit Salomon fanum Chamos, idolo Moab, in monte qui est contra Jerusalem, et Moloch idolo filiorum Ammon. Atque in hunc modum fecit universis uxoribus suis alienigenis, quae adolebant thura, et immolabant diis suis.
Then Solomon built a temple for Chamos the idol of Moab, on the hill that is over against Jerusalem, and for Moloch the idol of the children of Ammon. And he did in this manner for all his wives that were strangers, who burnt incense, and offered sacrifice to their gods.
A temple for Chamos… and of course, you remember Moloch… It’s fun to make an example out of Solomon’s wives. If Shakespeare wrote in Yiddish we might, today, have Di Frey Froyen Fun Shlomo. and it would be a Cecil B. epic as well.
But all joking aside, what does Solomon have to teach us? How much time do I have…
When you let even good desires draw you away from the one desire that is important you end up building temples for Moloch. Yes, they’re on another mountain. You may keep them outside of the sacred precincts. But you pay for them. If you had that money could you not have given it to God?
What thing in your life do you love more than God? What thing in your life can (probably has, at least once) kept you away from Mass? Fear (people will know I’m a Catholic)? Pride (I don’t want them to see me like this)? Thing crazy little thing called Love (she would never understand, we can skip today it’s fine)? Greed (I have a chance to work overtime)? Power (I can go to Mass anytime but this meeting is important)? Health (it’s better to take care of my body at that hour of the morning)?
Whatever it is, whatever that one thing (or more, in my case) is: that’s a temple to Moloch on the mountain opposite.
God is Gracious.
But you have to go tear it down.
And the time you spent building it? Is gone.
But all joking aside, what does Solomon have to teach us? How much time do I have…
When you let even good desires draw you away from the one desire that is important you end up building temples for Moloch. Yes, they’re on another mountain. You may keep them outside of the sacred precincts. But you pay for them. If you had that money could you not have given it to God?
What thing in your life do you love more than God? What thing in your life can (probably has, at least once) kept you away from Mass? Fear (people will know I’m a Catholic)? Pride (I don’t want them to see me like this)? Thing crazy little thing called Love (she would never understand, we can skip today it’s fine)? Greed (I have a chance to work overtime)? Power (I can go to Mass anytime but this meeting is important)? Health (it’s better to take care of my body at that hour of the morning)?
Whatever it is, whatever that one thing (or more, in my case) is: that’s a temple to Moloch on the mountain opposite.
God is Gracious.
But you have to go tear it down.
And the time you spent building it? Is gone.
Doxos 