Our sense of justice makes our ears perk up when we hear a voice speaking in righteous anger. The prophet Amos caught the ear of many in the Northern Kingdom of Israel 2800 years ago, and the words of his prophecies still strike us as we pray with the prophet this week. Amos does not begin his message softly: “The LORD roars from Zion, and raises his voice from Jerusalem…” (Am 1:2) The prophet then communicates the Lord’s memory of the war crimes of the nations that surrounded the kingdoms of Judah and Israel, along with specific devastating punishments which are coming to those nations. So far, those who listen to Amos in the kingdoms which followed after the reign of King David would have been satisfied. The cruelty of their enemies has been indicted by God and will receive just recompense.
However, the prophet then turns to Judah (the kingdom where Jerusalem and Zion, the place from which the Lord spoke, were to be found) and prophesies against them as well. That would at least have still be acceptable to the rival Northern Kingdom of Israel where Amos was crying out these prophesies. At last, however, Amos gave the prophecy that we hear in our first reading today. The prophet not only denounces the nations around Israel, not only rebukes the rival kingdom of Judah, but then tells the people of the kingdom where he is living that their own violence and sacrileges will result in destruction.
This prophet, whose prophecies provide the first reading each day this week, is one who gives us a strong look at God who loves and cares for the lives of the just, of the poor, of the weak, of the lowly who suffer at the hands of others. As we pray with the words of Amos, we may ask for two graces. First, we can ask to not solely look for the crimes of others (‘the nations’ of today), but to be open to receiving a hard look at the suffering inflicted in our own midst. Secondly, we can ask the Lord to give us a share in the prophet’s union with the heart of God who so cares for His People, that we may see those who suffer as God does, and that we may be moved to care for them as God does.