30 June 2022
Thursday of the Thirteenth Week in Ordinary Time
The exchange between the prophet Amos and the priest Amaziah reveals two things: the kingdom of Israel had deep ties with religious practice; and they had little desire for the conversion demanded by the Lord. Elsewhere in the prophet Amos we hear of the great activity around the sanctuary and temple in Bethel. They observed the feasts of the year with great regularity and flourish. And yet, they continued to cheat the poor who came to the cities to sell and buy simple goods and food. Violence and injustice were the order of the day in this, supposedly, religious monarchy. The inhabitants of the Northern Kingdom, including the priests and the king, needed a strong call to conversion.
And yet, when the Lord sends them a prophet, the priest tries to send him back, and tells Amos to leave them alone, go back home, and try to use prophecy for gain. Amaziah’s eyes had been corrupted looking for kick backs and so simply viewed Amos through the lens of corruption.
Calls to conversion are unsettling. Today, we can ask the Lord for the grace to receive the critiques of those who call us to live up to our religious practices and beliefs, so as to address the needs of our neighbor better, and to glorify God as He chooses to be glorified in the kindness we show to those in need.