Means to an Ends Time

Just hours after the attacks on Iran began, disturbing interpretations of the conflict emerged. The violence itself is disturbing enough, of course, but one hopes that there was a series of rational explanations that got us here. Yet, military personal began reporting that they were being told from higher ups to interpret the conflict through a (narrow) biblical lens. More than 100 service members across dozens of bases made reports to the Military Religious Freedom Foundation that commanders were framing operations as part of God’s plan for Armageddon and the return of Christ.

To this dangerous strain of Christianity, one wants to accelerate violence and tribulations in order to hurry Christ’s return. They interpret prophets as literal geopolitical predictions and the Book of Revelation as a blueprint in which they can be major players in controlling the narrative.

Iran is viewed as modern Persia. Israel (and ally U.S) as the modern Israelites. A war between them as the battle of Gog and Magog (Ezekiel 38). Interpretations always vary to accommodate current geopolitics; currently the prevailing idea is that Gog (Iran) and Magog (Russia/China) will invade Israel, with God supernaturally intervening to protect Israel. The Third Temple will be rebuilt, with the Dome of the Rock destroyed and a red heifer sacrificed. Jesus will come back and establish peace.

First, this is bad theology. Point blank. For most of Christianity, no one was concerned with concrete details of Christ’s return. He would keep His promises, He would return, and we must be ready for Him. It was a personal, spiritual call to prepared, like the brides with oil in their lamps.

Proclaim Boldly

Yesterday was International Women’s Day, and the Gospel reading for the day was the woman at the well. The story of Jesus’ encounter with the woman at the well is often how she was a Samaritan and an outcast, how Jesus saw past her social standing and sin. But there is a second part to the story. Once she sees that he is the Messiah, she rushes back to her village to tell everyone. 

She is an evangelist. She doesn’t care that she is an outcast or they may not believe her; she has a message of salvation and immediately wants to share it with others. "Many of the Samaritans of that town began to believe in him because of the word of the woman who testified" (John 4:38).

Time and time again, Jesus uses women to share His message.

St. Gerolamo Emiliani

Gerolamo Emiliani was born in 1486 in Venice. At age 15, he ran away to join the army. While defending a fortress in the mountains of Treviso, he was taken prisoner after all but three other soldiers abandoned the post. Though not particularly religious before, in prison he began to pray.

One month late, he was able to escape, and he attributed his escape to Mary’s intersession. He claimed a woman clothed in white appeared and handed him the keys to unlock his chains and the door of the prison tower. He even made a pilgrimage to the shrine of Our Lady of Treviso and left his prisoner’s chains there.
He served the army for a few more years. In 1516, he returned to Venine to help supervise his nephews and nieces, who had been orphaned. He also spent time studying theology and doing works of charity. He began caring for the city’s poor and sick, particularly orphans. He ran the hospital for incurables. He also travelled around northern Italy encouraging other cities to build hospitals and orphanages.

He found community in meetings with members of the Community of Divine Love, a lay apostolate dedicated to the poor, the sick, and the union of hearts. Some accounts say that Gerolamo was ordained, while others suggest that he wasn’t. However, he begin to work with two priests, and together, they began to plan a religious community based on Gerolamo’s charity, also probably influenced by the Community of Divine Love.

In 1532 Gerolamo founded the Congregation of Regular Clerics in Somasca, a small town between Milan and Bergamo. The principal work of the community was care for orphans, poor, and sick. The members of the order became known as Somachi or Somascans.

In 1537, Gerolamo contracted the plague while assisting the inflicted during an epidemic. He died on Feb. 8, 1537. He is the patron of orphaned and abandoned children. His feast day is Feb. 8. The Somascans still care for orphans all around the world.