The Bible in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz) - Day 310: Rivals for the Heart (2022)

Episode Date: November 6, 2022

Fr. Mike points out how easy it is to take good things and make idols out of them, setting them up as God's rivals for our hearts. We can discover these rivals by noticing the things we prioritize over spending time with God. The readings are 2 Maccabees 13, Wisdom 15-16, and Proverbs 25:15-17. For the complete reading plan, visit ascensionpress.com/bibleinayear. Please note: The Bible contains adult themes that may not be suitable for children - parental discretion is advised.

Hi, my name is Father Mike Schmitz, and you're listening to the Bible in a Year podcast, where we encounter God's voice and live life through the lens of Scripture. The Bible in a Year podcast is brought to you by Ascension. Using the Great Adventure Bible timeline, we'll read all the way from Genesis to Revelation, discovering how the story of salvation unfolds and how we fit into that story today. It is day 310. You might know this, but there are three days left in the Old Testament, not counting the book of Proverbs, which is pretty phenomenal. We have 2 Maccabees chapter 13,

the book of Wisdom chapter 15 and 16, as well as Proverbs chapter 25 verses 15 through 17. As always, the Bible translation I'm reading from is the Revised Standard Version, Second Catholic Edition. I'm using the Great Adventure Bible from Ascension. If you want to download your own Bible in a year reading plan, you can visit ascensionpress.com slash Bible in a year. You can also subscribe to this podcast by clicking on subscribe and then you will be subscribed. And audio magically will be updated every single day. It is day 310. We're reading 2 Maccabees chapter 13, the wisdom of Solomon chapter 15 and 16, as well as Proverbs chapter 25 verses 15 through 17. The second book of the Maccabees chapter 13. Menelaus the first put to death. In the 149th year word came to Judas and his men that Antiochus Jupiter was coming with a great army against Judea and with him Lysaeus his guardian who had

charge of the government. Each of them had a Greek force of 110,000 infantry, 5,300 cavalry, 22 elephants, and 300 chariots armed with scythes. Menelaus also joined them and with utter hypocrisy urged Antiochus on, not for the sake of his country's welfare, but because he thought that he would be established in office. But the king of kings aroused the anger of Antiochus against the scoundrel, and when Lysaeus informed him that this man was to blame for all the trouble, he ordered them to take him to Berea and to put him to death by the method which is the custom in that place. For there is a tower in that place, fifty cubits high, full of ashes, and it has a rim running around it which on all sides inclines precipitously into the ashes.

There they all push to destruction any man guilty of sacrilege or notorious for other crimes. By such a fate it came about that Menelaus the lawbreaker died without even burial in the earth. And this was eminently just. Because he had committed many sins against the altar whose fire and ashes were holy, he met his death in ashes. A Battle near Modin. The king with barbarous arrogance was coming to show the Jews things far worse than those that had been done in his father's time. But when Judas heard of this, he ordered the people to call upon the Lord day and night, now if ever, to help those who were on the point of being deprived of the law and their country

and the holy temple, and not to let the people who had just begun to revive fall into the hands of the blasphemous Gentiles. When they had all joined in the same petition and had begged the merciful Lord with weeping and fasting and lying prostrate for three days without ceasing, Judas exhorted them and ordered them to stand ready. After consulting privately with the elders, he determined to march out and decide the matter by the help of God before the king's army could enter Judea and get possession of the city. So, committing the decision to the creator of the world and exhorting his men to fight nobly to the death for the laws, temple, city, country, and commonwealth, he pitched his camp near Modin. He gave his men the watchword, God's victory, and with a picked force of the bravest young men, he attacked the king's pavilion at night and slew as many as 2,000 men in the camp.

He stabbed the leading elephant and its rider. In the end, they filled the camp with terror and confusion and withdrew in triumph. This happened just as day was dawning, because the Lord's help protected him. Antiochus makes a treaty with the Jews. The king, having had a taste of the daring of the Jews, tried strategy in attacking their positions. He advanced against Bet-Zur, a strong fortress of the Jews, was turned back, attacked again, and was defeated. Judas sent into the garrison whatever was necessary. But Rhodicus, a man from the ranks of the Jews, gave secret information to the enemy. He was sought for, caught, and put in prison.

The king negotiated a second time with the people in Beth-Zur, gave pledges, received theirs, withdrew, attacked Judas and his men, was defeated. He got word that Philip, who had been left in charge of the government, had revolted in Antioch. He was dismayed, called in the Jews, yielded and swore to observe all their rights,

settled with them and offered sacrifice, honored the sanctuary and showed generosity to the holy place. He received Maccabeus, left Hegemonides as governor from Ptolemaeus to Gerar and went to Ptolemaeus. The people of Ptolemaeus were indignant over the treaty. In fact, they were so angry that they wanted to annul its terms. Lysaeus took the public platform, made the best possible defense, convinced them, appeased them, gained their goodwill, and set out for Antioch. This is how the king's attack and withdrawal turned out. The Wisdom of Solomon, Chapter 15 True Worship of God Contrasted to Idols But you, our God, are kind and true, patient, and ruling all things in mercy.

For even if we sin, we are yours, knowing your power. But we will not sin, because we know that we are considered yours. Knowing your power. as yearning and fools, so that they desire the lifeless form of a dead image. Lover of evil things and fit for such objects of hope are those who either make or desire or worship them. For when a potter needs the soft earth and laboriously molds each vessel for our service, he fashions out of the same clay both the vessels that serve clean uses and those for contrary uses, making all in like manner. But which shall be the use of each of these, the worker in clay decides. With misspent toil he forms a futile god from the same clay. This man, who was made of earth a short time before and after a little while,

goes to the earth from which he was taken when he is required to return the soul that was lent him. But he is not concerned that he is destined to die or that his life is brief, but he competes with workers in gold and silver and imitates workers in copper, and he counts it his glory that he molds counterfeit gods. His heart is ashes, his hope is cheaper than dirt, and his life is of less worth than clay because he failed to know the one who formed him and inspired him with an active soul and breathed into him a living spirit. But he considered our existence an idle game, in life a festival held for profit. For he says one must get money however he can, even by base means. For this man, more than all others, knows that he sins when he makes from

earthy matter fragile vessels and graven images. But most foolish and more miserable than an infant are all the enemies who oppressed your people. For they thought that all their hidden idols were gods, though these have neither the use of their eyes to see with, nor nostrils with which to draw breath, nor ears with which to hear, nor fingers to feel with, and their feet are of no use for walking. For a man made them, and one whose spirit is borrowed formed them. For no man can form a God which is like himself, he is mortal, and what he makes with lawless hands is dead. For he is better than the objects he worships, since he has life, but they never have. The enemies of your people worship even the most hateful of animals,

which are worse than all others when judged by their lack of intelligence. And even as animals, they are not so beautiful in appearance that one would desire them, but they have escaped both the praise of God and his blessing. Chapter 16. Therefore, those men were deservedly punished through such creatures and were tormented by a multitude of animals. Instead of this punishment, you showed kindness to your people, and you prepared quails to eat, a delicacy to satisfy the desire of appetite, in order that those men, when they desired food, might lose the least remnant of appetite because of the odious creatures sent to them, while your people, after suffering want a short time, might partake of delicacies. For it was necessary that upon those oppressors inexorable want should come, while to these it was merely shown how their enemies were being tormented. For when the terrible rage of wild

beasts came upon your people, and they were being destroyed by the bites of writhing serpents, your wrath did not continue to the end. They were troubled for a little while as a warning and received a token of deliverance to remind them of your law's command. For he who turned toward it was saved, not by what he saw, but by you, the savior of all. And by this also you convinced our enemies that it is you who deliver from every evil.

For they were killed by the bites of locusts and flies and no healing was found for them, because they deserved to be punished by such things. But your sons were not conquered even by the teeth of venomous serpents, for your mercy came to their help and healed them. To remind them of your oracles they were bitten, and then were quickly delivered, lest they should fall into deep forgetfulness and become unresponsive to your kindness. For neither herb nor poultice cured them. But it was your word, O Lord, which heals all men. For you have power over life and death. You lead men down to the gates of Hades and back again. A man in his wickedness kills another,

but he cannot bring back the departed spirit nor set free the imprisoned soul. To escape from your hand is impossible. For the ungodly, refusing to know you, were scourged by the strength of your arm, pursued by unusual rains and hail and relentless storms, and utterly consumed by fire. For, most incredible of all, in the water, which quenches all things, the fire had still greater effect, for the universe defends the righteous. At one time the flame was restrained, so that it might not consume the creatures sent against the ungodly, but that seeing this, they might know that they were being pursued by the judgment of God. And at another time, even in the midst of water, it burned more intensely than fire to destroy the crops of the unrighteous land. Instead of these things, you gave your people

the food of angels. And without their toil, you supplied them from heaven with bread ready to eat, providing every pleasure and suited to every taste. For your sustenance manifested your sweetness toward your children, and the bread, ministering to the desire of the one who took it, was changed to suit everyone's liking. Snow and ice withstood fire without melting, so that they might know that the crops of their enemies were being destroyed by the fire that blazed in the hail and flashed in the showers of rain, whereas the fire, in order that the righteous might be fed, even forgot its native power. For creation, serving you who have made it, exerts itself to punish the unrighteous and in kindness

relaxes on behalf of those who trust in you. Therefore, at that time also changed into all forms, it served your all nourishing bounty according to the desire of those who had need so that your sons whom you loved, O Lord, might learn that it is not the production of crops that feeds man, but that your word preserves those who trust in you. For what was not destroyed by fire was melted when simply warmed by a fleeting ray of the sun, to make it known that one must rise before the sun to give you thanks, and must praise to you at the dawning of the light. For the hope of an ungrateful man will melt like wintry frost and flow away like wastewater. The book of Proverbs chapter 25 verses 15 through 17. With patience a ruler may be persuaded and a soft tongue will break a bone. If you have found honey, eat only enough for you lest you be sated

with it and vomit it. Let your foot be seldom in your neighbor's house, lest he become weary of you and hate you. Father in heaven, we give you praise. Thank you so much. Thank you for your word. Thank you for this day. Thank you for constantly bringing us back again and again, that you might remind us that you not only love us, not only that you are interested in us, but in the most mysterious way,

you have a destiny for us. You have a destination you want us to reach, that you have, in some ways, we can maybe say a plan. That plan, that hope, that desire, that will that you have for us is that we live forever with you, that we live this life with you and that we live forever with you.

Help us to say yes to your will today. Help us to say yes to this destiny for eternity. And we make this prayer in the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen. In the name of the Father and of the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen. You know, sometimes we have the book of Proverbs and it's just kind of one of those Proverbs you have to recover or like, what's word reread and we what we have we had three today or a kind of three that i think were really remarkable and worth commenting on here we go the first is chapter 25 verse 15 with patience a ruler may be persuaded and a soft tongue will break a bone there's that sense of um if you've ever seen the movie shawshank redemption you realize there is this pressure in time right pressure in Pressure in time is what Andy Dufresne, one of the characters in this movie, that's all he needed to get from a place

of slavery or a place of imprisonment, a place of being caught to a place of freedom, pressure in time. And here's the book of Proverbs saying more or less the same thing. With patience, a ruler might be persuaded and a soft tongue will break a bone. There's that sense of being able to say there is such a thing as pressure over time that can accomplish great things. And that one of the things we realize is here we are on day 310, and this is pressure over time that, you know, day one might not have been blow your socks off kind of day, or even 90 days journeying through the prophets might not have been, you know, inspiring every single moment. But that pressure over time and being patient and allowing God's word to bring his will to fulfillment in your life is remarkable, right?

And so then the next one is, if you have found honey, eat only enough for you, lest you be stated with it and vomit it. And I think that's just, that makes sense. My mom and dad would always say that my eyes were too big for my stomach. We would go up to the buffet line and just overload on the good foods that I thought would be incredible to eat. And there's just so much of it. And yet there's something to be said for knowing when to quit, knowing when to stop, right? Knowing when enough is enough. And not only obviously when it comes to food, but when it comes to even other good things, there's something about, we heard it in

the book of wisdom today, and we've talked about this before. In the book of wisdom, it talks about here are all these good things surrounding us and people make gods out of them. People make idols out of them and entrust their hearts and their lives, their security, their protection, their future to these idols that are images of human beings or images of God's creation, animals, even things that are not attractive, like things that you wouldn't even desire. Basically saying you might even make gods out of alligators or crocodiles, I guess, whatever's over there in the far East or near East, or make gods out of snakes or flies. I mean, remember when we went through the gods that the Lord God

defeated in Egypt to set his people free, there were gods involving pestilence, gods of cows, gods of, as I said, flies, and you have snakes and serpents. You realize that here we are stooping so low as to being willing to worship something that has no power, no ability, and not even any nobility. And that's a unique thing that not only does it have no ability, it has no nobility. And how often is that the case for us? I know how many times in my life I have treated certain things

or even people in the place of God. I put them in the place of God in my life. Remember, we talked about this, that we don't make God's typically out of bad things. We take good things and make them into ultimate things. We take good things and make them into God's chief rivals for our hearts. And the question we get to ask is what is God's chief rival for my heart? Probably, and your heart, probably it's not a image carved in stone or an image carved out of wood or image

carved out of clay, like it's talked about in the wisdom of Solomon today, but it is most likely something. How do you identify it? You identify it by asking who or what is God's chief rival for my heart? Who or what is God's chief rival for my time? Because we realize that our relationship with God is the kind of relationship that does not tolerate rivals. As we know this, we know that marriages are the kind of relationship that don't tolerate rivals. That is, husband and wife are married to each other. To have someone of interest, to have someone on the side, to have another person competing for one's heart, that does not amount to a healthy relationship. That does not amount to a healthy marriage. And same thing is true when it comes to our relationship with the Lord,

that this relationship with God himself does not tolerate any rival. We can have other people in our lives. Of course, we can have other things that we do in our lives, but nothing that would contest, nothing that would be fighting for, nothing that would be considered to be a rival for God. So the question is, is this, how do you identify that? And I would say the question you can ask is, is there anything that if it came down to this thing or God, this thing might actually have a shot. This thing might win, you know, a couple times out of 10. If that's the case, that thing might be a rival for God, for your heart. And so, gosh, you know, so in this neck of the world, in this neck of the country, we have, you know, sports is kind of a big God. When I work with a lot of junior high, high school students, college students,

sports becomes that chief rival. So here's a family. We have a tournament this weekend, so we're not able to make it to mass. Okay. You just identified your idol. You just identified God's chief rival for your family's eternal soul. I mean, think about that. This is remarkable to me because here, let's take hockey, for example, because some incredible hockey players are from this region. I mean, they've grown up around here. They became incredible hockey players here, and they've gone on to do incredible things. The number of them who do that, though, are so minuscule.

In fact, they're so minuscule that you can never bank on that. You can never ever bank on the idea that if we go to all these tournaments and go to all these practices, all these hockey camps, we're going to become, we're going to have an all-star here who's going to reshape the face of hockey in the world. That doesn't happen. And those people that it does happen for, you ask the question, okay, is it worth it? So as an example, we had a young man here and he came into the Catholic church while he was a student at the university I work at. And this is an incredible thing.

He played on our hockey team here and he scored the winning goal in double overtime for the national championship. So the NCAA division one frozen four, he scores the winning goal in double overtime for the national championship. And, uh, he goes on to play pro after this and everything. I remember, you know, the place was going nuts. And the next day I remember calling him and say, Hey, uh, Kyle, congratulations. This is an incredible, like what you did. And he said, you know, he's a humble guy. And he said, well, yeah, that, that is that way. That was really cool that I was able to do that. It was really cool that it got to be me really cool that, you know, the whole thing. And then he went on to say, he said, but nothing is

going to compare with the first time I get to receive Jesus in the Eucharist when I become Catholic. And I was like, dude, you need to tell that to every single, you know, ice might every might, every, uh, all the people playing all the, all these leagues and spending all this money and skipping mass all these Sundays just to go to hockey. And now a bunch of years later, he'll say the same thing. He'll say, yeah, that goal, it was a great moment. He says, but it's not even in my top 10. He says, my top one is that first time I got to receive Jesus in the Eucharist at mass.

Second is when I got to marry my wife. The third is my first child. Then my second child, it'd go down the line. He says that goal is no longer even in the top 10. In fact, I don't know if he has any top 10 moments that are related to hockey. And yet here we are, and we are willing to let, I'm not picking on hockey here. I'm just using that as an example. We're willing to let our sport, our job, our occupation, our hobbies become God's chief rivals in our lives for our hearts.

And that seems to me like the book of wisdom would say, it seems to me to be foolish. So that's the little, the sermon for today. That's all I got to say though. But I want to let you know that I'm praying for you and I hope that you're praying for me. My name is Father Mike. I cannot wait to see you tomorrow. God bless.