Day 257: Choose to Love

Jeremiah 52:1-34 This book ends with a narrative about the conquest of Jerusalem that was lifted almost verbatim from the Second Book of Kings (cf. 24:18-25:30). According to this passage, there was a third exile of the people of Judah to Babylon around 582 BC. The book ends on a positive note with the accession of Evil-merodach to the throne of Babylon and  his compassionate release and honorable treatment of King Jehoiacin of Judah. 


The Book of Obadiah

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Obadiah 1:1-21 Obadiah presents a scathing condemnation of Edom. The Edomites were descendants of Esau, son of Isaac and the twin brother of Jacob (Israel). Though they enjoyed a mostly peaceful but uncomfortable coexistence with Judah, they did not look upon each other as friends. Obadiah criticized them here for taking advantage of Judah’s defeat at the hands of the Babylonians by claiming large portions of Judah and plundering its cities and villages. The prophet recounts a list of sins in ascending order that will all result in punishment. The enumeration of lesser sins demonstrates how they can lead to more serious transgressions. As in previous prophecies, these verses predict the defeat of the forces of evil and the restoration of a remnant of Israel. The mention of “saviors” ruling Mount Zion and Mount Esau has been interpreted by St. Augustine and others to point to the conversion of Gentiles, symbolized here by the reconciliation of the descendants of Jacob and Esau. 


Day of the Lord: The final judgment will involve the reward of the just and the punishment of unrepentant doers of evil. (CCC 1041)

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


Exile and Return

(*Walking With God: A Journey Through The Bible by Tim Gray and Jeff Cavins)



Prayer by Fr. Mike: “Father in Heaven we give you praise. We thank you so much. Gosh, Lord God, thank you for bringing us to this day. Thank you for the gift of your love that is so easy to take for granted. Thank you for the gift of knowing your identity, and knowing that you are our Father. And that what breaks our hearts breaks your heart. And what you have made us for is more than we can ever possibly imagine, dream of, or hope for. So help us, Lord. Help us to choose what you have made us for. Help us to be the kind of people that you created and redeemed us to be. We ask this in Jesus’ name. Amen.”