St. Mary's Church Elizabeth, IL

7/21

To be elect

     Prophet Hosea lived in the 8th centry B.C. and his ministry as a prophet, probably took place in the last quarter of the century.  He was not a historian in the modern sense of the term, but he was remarkably good reader of history and was able to see the world events on a larger canvas of history.  He had a gift of understanding the events of history in relation to God and Israel.  In his service as a prophet, he became aware of God's love, and he recalls his nation's humble but marvelous beginnings but also, he saw these years as spiritual and moral decline.  It was a gradual and continous loss of strength and motivation in practicing of spiritual values.  And that caught his attention.

    Prophet Hosea, as he reflects on religious life of his nation, becomes aware of how stubbornly in wrongdoing his people were.  Occasionally, the people have insight and see the object of their turst, but instead of pursuing the truth they choose to make their own path.  The prophet's message is clear: only return to God would be effective; no misplace of religious faith can bring freedom from slavery.  Israel was God's chosen people but they had to understand that election had a purpose, a goal and that, if that goal were not fulfilled, made the election ceased to have any true meaning.

     The Church, according to the New Testament understanding, is also a body of God's chosen people:  "But you are chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light" (1 Peter 2:9).  To be the elect is to be chosen for a purpose, as St. Peter put it.  Christians are given the respoinsibility of bringing Christ to others, to represent him to opthers, to direct the attention of this world toward Christ.  But if the purpose is lost, the point of election slowly disappears and finally ceases to exist.

     The principal purpose of an expensive military line of defense is to creat security, but it has a little effect when a smarter and stronger enemy outmaneuvers you.  Such was in the case of Maginot Line in France.  It was designed to resist German attack, but as we know from life, no fortifications are impenetrable.  Germany out-maneuvered France and the sate fell into Germany's hands.  Maginot Line became the symbol of false security.

     We must be aware of this sort of mentality.  We cannot be lulled into a false sense of security by sudden growth in wealth or military strength, removing God from our lives.   God sends the messengers of truth all the time.  There can be no freedom for those who refuse to know the truth, and there is no surer way of failing to know the truth than living a life devoted to lies.  Pride always walks before the fall, as one of my friends use to say.  The rejection of turth drawn from God's word means the difference between life and death.  We can either listen to God's message and follow his ways or refuse his guidance and insist of following our own directions, without God and his guidance.  As Christians, we have been called to demonstrate in life the principles of justice, righetousness and truth.

Fr. Joachim