Day 188: The Book of the Law

2 Kings 22:1-20 The reign of King Josiah, son of Amon, marked a return of righteousness to the throne of Judah. He had the Temple repaired, and it was during his reign that the ancient book of the covenant was found. After the book was read to him, he realized how far the people had strayed from the covenant and inaugurated a reform of Law and worship.


2 Chronicles 33:1-20 Manasseh, Hezekiah’s son, was unfaithful in the first part of his reign, turning to idols, witchcraft, and even sacrificing his own son; soon, Judah became corrupt with idolatry once again. After the Assyrians invaded, Manasseh was placed in chains and taken to Babylon. There, he repented of his sin and petitioned the Lord for assistance. Returning to his kingdom, he reversed much of the damage he had done and restored proper worship to the land. 


Proverbs 7:1-27 This book associates adultery with false religion since both involve egregious disloyalty and infidelity. The prophets Jeremiah and Hosea preached strongly against the sin of adultery and considered it an image of idolatry; it follows that fidelity to God carries a similar obligation as fidelity in marriage. Therefore, violations of the First Commandment against idolatry are viewed metaphorically as adultery. Hosea was called by God to marry the harlot Gomer, and her infidelity became a metaphor for the infidelity of Israel through idolatrous practices. (CCC 2380-2381)

(*The Didache Bible RSV-CE Ignatius Edition, 2006)



Prayer by Fr. Mike: “Father in Heaven we thank you and we give you praise. Thank you for being such a good Dad to us, for loving us in our weakness. For loving us not only when we don’t love you back, when we don’t love each other. When we don’t love the people that you have placed in our lives. Lord God, you still are love and you still have made us for love and you still call us to love, even when we have wandered away from you, Lord, you continue to call us back to you. Reveal your heart to us. Continue to reveal your Word to us this day and every day. Continue to allow us to hear your voice, to not just hear your voice, but to truly listen to the depths of your heart. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.”