Fr. Bill's Weekly Message
for 7/26/98
Dear Parishioners:
Today's first reading
is an example of God's mercy. God will relent in his anger even for a few.
God will do all in His power to save you and me. This is not a reason,
however, to grow complacent.
There will come a time of judgment and each of
us will have to stand before the throne of God and give an account of our
lives. It will be a strict account of each decision we have made. Our sins
have been forgiven through the blood of the cross, but we still have to
justify our entry into heaven.
God cannot and will not put away His justice.
God, contrary to public opinion, cannot do anything He wants. He cannot
make a square circle. He cannot make an injustice, just. He cannot make
a wrong, right. God cannot do away with any of the Ten Commandments. He
cannot make adultery right - abortion OK. - murder, admissible - obscenity,
not important - pornography, permissible - etc.
God can do all possible things, but some things
are impossible to be done even by God. We must be very careful when we
say that God is "all powerful." God has made the best possible world for
us. He could have made a world in which no one sinned, but then we would
have a world without freedom and thus without love, joy, beauty, ecstasy,
friendship, etc. He could have made a world in which no one would get sick,
but then we would have to be made out of steel, plastic, some thing that
would never grow old. Of course in such a world, there would be no hugs,
smiles, tears, etc.
No, this is the best possible world. It is not
perfect, but then no creature is ever perfect. It is precisely because
we are not perfect that "He canceled the bond that stood against us with
all its claims, snatching it up and nailing it to the cross" (Col. 2:14).
Perhaps we are the "ten" who save the city from destruction.
Sometimes we almost wish God would visit some catastrophe
upon the city, country, etc. What we may not understand is that Abraham
is still pleading with our heavenly Father to spare the innocent. In fact,
we should get on our knees every day and plead with God to spare the city.
No matter how "bad" the situation gets, there
are innocent ones. Our Father sees the world so differently than we. I
remember taking Sunday drives with my family. One of the most wonderful
times was in the autumn. We would go around one curve and the western end
of the Mohawk valley would open before our eyes. The fall colors and crisp
air were and are to beautiful to describe. It was meant to be enjoyed.
God sees this view and billions more like it at every
moment. His creation is beautiful. He sees all the sunsets, autumns,
on this world and everywhere in the universe. He sees the exploding novas
and new suns coming into existence. Why would He desire [except in the
most disastrous of circumstances] to destroy even a small part of it?
God knows what we need. He will give to us more
abundantly and completely than any earthly father could. He gives us the
Holy Spirit to lead and guide us. Let us not be afraid and allow the Spirit
to take us in the Father's direction not our own.
God bless,
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