A reflection on the daily readings, for Friday of the Sixth Week in Ordinary Time, by Father Perry.
+ Building the “tower of Babel” so that they “could make a name for ourselves.”
And God wondered aloud what they would do later if now, speaking the same language, they were so united in making a name, being important, building a tower to show their greatness.
This tower reached up into the heavens, and we can show everyone — even our God — just how important we are!
As the tower grew higher and higher, so also did their pride.
Who could stop them? What could stop them?
And so, God saw and God reacted; the tower of Babel came tumbling down, and the people were now scattered all over the world. They all spoke different languages and could not understand one another.
You could say that now when they spoke, others said it sounded like they were just “babel-ing” on and on and on. Now that’s a pretty cute little story about why people speak different languages.
Of course God caused it! Isn’t he to blame for everything, even people speaking different languages?
That will teach them, one might say; and of course it almost sounds blasphemous that God just never learned.
He kept thinking that these people would change, that they would stop their arrogance and pride.
But when was God going to see that, “these people will never learn”?
My advice to God? Just keep loving us, and gracing us, and blessing us, and guiding us, and enlightening us and picking us up when we fall.
And fall we will — and, oh yeah, that huge thing you did on the cross: we saw it, we believed in it, it made a huge impression, and even that could not stop you from loving and forgiving.
I guess, God, you really do know what you are doing.
And I guess you used, in Jesus the Christ, our humble and little humanness to teach us how to love and how to live.
¡Gracias!
And then Jesus summoned them to follow him and learn the same, discover the same.
In that crossing of wood that we call the cross, Jesus indeed showed us the way and the truth and the life.
He invited us not just to see it but to share it.
That, his cross, gives us an opportunity to discover love without conditions and love with limits.
As Psalm 33 says so eloquently today: “Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own!”
Father Perry D. Leiker is the 13th pastor of St. Bernard Catholic Church. Reach him at (323) 255-6142. Email Father Perry at pleiker@stbernard-church.com. Follow Father Perry on Twitter: @MrDeano76.
