Wednesday of the 12th week of Ordinary Time (even year)
The king read in the presence of the people all the words of the book of the covenant, found in the temple of the Lord and concluded the covenant before the Lord.
In those days, the high priest Hilkiah said to the scribe Shaphan: “I have found the book of the law in the temple of the Lord.” Hilkiah gave the book to Shaphan, who read it. Shaphan the scribe then went to the king and informed him, saying, “Your servants have paid the money found in the temple and have given it into the hands of the workers who are in charge of the temple of the Lord.” Then the scribe Shaphan announced to the king: “The priest Hilkiah has given me a book.” Shaphan read it before the king.
Having heard the words of the book of the law, the king tore his clothes. The king commanded Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam son of Shaphan, Achbor son of Micah, Shaphan the scribe, and Asaiah the king’s minister: “Go, consult the Lord for me, for the people, and for all Judah, concerning the words from this book now found; in fact, great is the anger of the Lord, which has been kindled against us, because our fathers did not listen to the words of this book, putting into practice what was written for us.” The king sent to gather all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem to him. The king went up to the temple of the Lord; with him were all the men of Judah, all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the priests, the prophets and all the people, from the least to the greatest. He read in their presence all the words of the book of the covenant, found in the temple of the Lord. The king, standing at the pillar, concluded the covenant before the Lord, to follow the Lord and observe his commands, instructions and laws with all his heart and with all his soul, to implement the words of the covenant written in that book. All the people joined the alliance.
Josiah’s reform and the renewal of the alliance
The Northern kingdom, or kingdom of Israel, had fallen under the pressure of the Assyrian empire. Before the collapse, God had sent many prophets to invite the king and the people to conversion because they had forgotten him to follow the false gods of foreign peoples.
The Lord, through his messengers, had proposed a new alliance based on respect for Yahweh, the only God. The prophets had probably also written a sort of alliance pact which, however, had not been accepted and had fallen into oblivion. At the basis of the episode of the discovery of the book of the Law there is probably this document, which later merged into Deuteronomy.
The reform started by Hezekiah, then disregarded by his successors, was relaunched by Josiah. He promotes the spiritual renewal of his people by restoring centrality to the alliance with God. The rite, with the solemn profession of obedience to the word of God, is not a simple return to the past but is the declaration of love towards the Lord, as the bride towards the groom. In Josiah we find the traits of the young Solomon who asks God for the wisdom of the heart so that, by listening to his word, he can put it into practice to govern the people entrusted to him with prudence and justice.
Listen to “Don Pasquale Giordano – Commentary on the Gospel of the day – 26 June 2024” on Spreaker.
By their fruits you will recognize them.
At that time, Jesus said to his disciples:
«Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inside they are ravenous wolves! By their fruits you will recognize them.
Do you gather grapes from thorns, or figs from brambles? Thus every good tree bears good fruit, and every bad tree bears bad fruit; a good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor a bad tree produce good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. You will therefore know them by their fruits.”
The smoke of appearance intoxicates the fruits of the Spirit and make the heart rejoice
To reach a place unknown to us we need someone to show us the way, to succeed in an undertaking we have never attempted we need someone to teach us how to do it. In life we experience from the first moments that we could not live if we were not helped by those who take care of us.
This does not only apply to biological life but is a truth that embraces all existence and involves every area of it. The prophet is he or she who comes alongside each other on the journey of growth as a parent, educator, teacher, brother or sister, or friend, colleague, companion.
However, if it is true that we can draw something good from everyone to become great, and above all to learn to love, it is equally true that we must discern what is good for us and what is harmful to us.
In fact, there are relationships that risk intoxicating us like when we eat spoiled food. Without knowing it, we can be led into corruption by those who approach us “in the guise of sheep but instead are ravenous wolves” because they steal our joy, hope and the mental clarity essential to reason with our mind in order to make free choices and aware.
The wise friend is not the one who has the answer ready for everything, but the one who searches for it together with you, he is not that person who creates dependency, but the one who makes you exercise the right autonomy. The true prophet does not blame you but allows you to open your eyes to mistakes and at the same time helps you learn from them.
The false man of God is the one who indulges the other so as not to upset him, pleases so as not to disappoint him, seduces to keep him tied to himself, dissembles out of interest. When in a relationship there is intimacy and frankness, conflict but also complicity, diversity and freedom, then the tree is good because it produces the good fruits of patience, loyalty, generosity and compassion.
Commentary by Don Pasquale Giordano
Episcopal vicar for evangelization and catechesis and director of the Center for Biblical Spirituality in Matera
Source – Don Pasquale’s blog “You have Words of eternal life“
