31 August 2025

31 August 2025 - 22nd Sunday of Ordinary Time

Transcript

Reading:  

Hebrews 12:29

Write:  

For our God is a consuming fire.

Reflect:   

This is the last of our look at Hebrews. There is another chapter, but the editors of our Readings chose not to refer to it – or the line I just quoted. The two verses above my read quote were also skipped in our reading. They are as follows:

“I will once more shake not only earth but heaven.” That phrase, “once more,” points to [the] removal of shaken, created things, so that what is unshaken may remain. Therefore, we who are receiving the unshakable kingdom should have gratitude, with which we should offer worship pleasing to God in reverence and awe.

I am fairly sure you have heard me talk about the fire of God’s Love being hotter than the flames of hell. But in case you have forgotten…

“Our God is a consuming fire.” Seriously, his burning love for us is so intense that the fire of his love in heaven is hotter than the fire of hell. But we are tempered – prepared – for the level of heat, the level of his love, that will come to us when we are in heaven. Those that cannot take that level of heated love of God will find themselves running into hell. And it will be a little more comfortable for them to be in that situation than to stay in the fiery presence of God! I know! That sounds crazy, but that is where they will be. They will be running from the love of God.

Apply:   

Now, the reading we have from Hebrews chapter twelve today is speaking about the experience on Mount Sinai. This is the time God first revealed himself to the nation of Israel. The people, even Moses, found themselves ill at ease with the majesty of God. They had a hard time putting into words what they saw happening around them on the mountain. 

Our writer of Hebrews makes an immediate comparison between the early experience of the Israelites and our experience of God through Jesus. Mount Sinai was where the first covenant with the Israelites was identified through Moses. This we call the Old Covenant, or the Old Testament. Now… we have the mediator of a New Covenant, Jesus himself. The blood he shed shook the world – literally. When he died on the cross there was a great earthquake – that is reported in the Gospels.

Our writer is trying to convince us of how much better we have it than the Israelites had it in the desert. As earlier in the letter to the Hebrews repeated talking about the faith of the Old Testament saints – “by faith” (remember?) – now we have the lines telling us who wehave approached:

You have approached Mount Zion
 and the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem,
 and countless angels in festal gathering,
 and the assembly of the firstborn enrolled in heaven,
 and God the judge of all,
 and the spirits of the just made perfect,
 and Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant,
 and the sprinkled blood that speaks more eloquently 
         than that of Abel.

We have approached the majestic fire of God’s love. This should fill us with the fire of love for God from ourselves back to God. It is a great and awesome God we serve, and the challenge of that service is to love him with the same fiery abandon that he has loved us.

*****

Now I want to speak about the tragedy at the parish and school of Annunciation Church in Minnesota this week. It seems clear that the perpetrator of this heinous event did not know the fire of God’s love. What were the problems that he had? What drove him to that kind of action of killing innocent children… at a Mass? We have already heard of a number of things that point to a seriously deranged individual. 

People will be second guessing and trying to make sense of the events for a long time. I think it points to a failure to support this young man in good Christian standards. Gender dysphoria is a psychological disorder. It is a shame that some people who are caught in this are treated with such callous disregard for the truth. I do not think we should find it surprising that such aberrations as murder and suicide accompany these thoughts.

The people who suffer from this dysphoria need our support. They do not need to be told they are “okay”. That is denying God’s creation. To some that sounds like a hateful view. But I think it is the simple truth.

Our prayers and attention need to be placed on the victims and families affected. That includes the shooter and all who knew him. I can well imagine that ourstudents, having heard of the reports, are also affected. We need to care for one another in Christ.

After having said this, we have a request to take up a second collection for the families and the parish affected by this tragedy. I think it is a noble purpose.

Please keep all those in prayer who have been affected by this. The children who were in the church at the time of this shooting were of an age where they… cannot process the horrific events in a way that will bring them to a good closure any time soon. They need our prayers and support. They will need our prayers for years. Please be generous in the second collection, but especially in your prayers as often as you can remember this tragedy of children murdered at Mass.

Prayer

Deacon Tim forwarded a litany on Friday that I would like to close with:

*****

Our Lady, Help of Christians, we turn to you, who watched your Son give his life for us, and stood strong at the foot of his cross. We ask for your consolation, your guidance, your motherly arms to embrace us. We stand in silence, praying beside you.

St. Joseph, great protector, pray for us.

Archangel Michael, defend us in every battle.

Sts. Louis and Zelie Martin, parents who lost four children, pray for us.

St. Frances Xavier Cabrini, missionary to the United States, pray for us.

St. Emilia, mother of saints, pray for us.

St. Monica, mother of St. Augustine, pray for us.

Servant of God Dorothy Day, defender of all who lack protection, pray for us.

Sts. Perpetua and Felicity, mothers who left their infants to die for Christ, pray for us.

St. Junipero Serra, lover of peace, pray for us.

Blessed Lucien Botovasova, a dad, a teacher, and a martyr, pray for us.

St. Rita of Cascia, mother, patron of impossible causes, pray for us.

St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, who lost two children and is the first saint of the United States, and patron of educators, pray for us.

Sts. Jacinta and Francisco, sweet children, pray for us.

Blessed Carlo Acutis and Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati, inspiring examples for all young people, pray for us.

Virgin Mother, we know that as a mother, you never took your eyes off of your children in Annunciation School, especially in those moments of dramatic confusion and fear; you accompanied them with your tenderness.

Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, have mercy on us.

Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, have mercy on us.

Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, have mercy on us.

May the souls of the departed rest in peace. Amen.

And I add: May God have mercy on our nation. Amen.

+++++

Litanies two weekends in a row! Wow!