20th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Aug. 16, 2015

Written by Fr. Fitz Tuesday, 11 August 2015 12:03

Forsake foolishness that you may live....Proverbs

In the Gospel today, John continues his long discourse about the Bread of Life.

The first reading is unusual in that it is from the Book of Proverbs.

"Forsake foolishness!"

Timely!

Donald Trump leads some polls!

Once upon a time Mussolini was considered a nobody.

But he advocated the foolishness of Fascism, and he was belligerent and bombastic.

Sound familiar?

There are a number of candidates from either Party who are worthy of cinsideration, but one who speaks utter foolishness is not one of them.

Donald Trump, like Il Duce, caters to ignorance, prejudice, arrogance, and spite.

He belittles a woman reporter, lies about the majority of persons crossing the border, and advocates indescriminate bombing of the Iraqi oil fields--which constitutes a war crime.

He qualifies as the poster boy for narcissim, not for president.,

Channel 8 this week featured the folk singers from the sixties and seventies.

Where has their lovely music gone?

They challnged our consciences about war, racial justice, inequality.

"Wher have all the flower gone,

long tome passing....

When will they ever learn, when will they ever learn?"

In today's Second Reading, Saint Paul pleads:

"Watch carefuly the way you live, not as foolish persons but as wise, making full use of the opportunity because the days are evil..."

"making full use of the opportunity..." We will soon have the opportunity to choose our leaders..

And so we pray:

O God deliver us from foolishness,

from bombast,

from those who would appeal to our baser selves.

We are better than that.

Help us to seek Wisdom.

Amen