Do Good

Hear the word of the LORD, princes of Sodom! Listen to the instruction of our God, people of Gomorrah! What care I for the number of your sacrifices? says the LORD.  I have had enough of whole-burnt rams and fat of fatlings. In the blood of calves, lambs and goats I find no pleasure. When you come in to visit me, who asks these things of you? 

Trample my courts no more! Bring no more worthless offerings; your incense is loathsome to me. New moon and sabbath, calling of assemblies, octaves with wickedness: these I cannot bear. Your new moons and festivals I detest; they weigh me down. I tire of the load. When you spread out your hands, I close my eyes to you; though you pray the more, I will not listen. 

Your hands are full of blood! Wash yourselves clean! Put away your misdeeds from before my eyes; cease doing evil; learn to do good. Make justice your aim: redress the wronged, hear the orphan’s plea, defend the widow. (Isaiah 1:10-17)

Isaiah, speaking for the LORD, seems sick of false worship such as sacrificing animals on altars where their blood is shed as offerings to God.  He calls those offering worthless with associated incense being loathsome.   He pulls no punches with his condemnation of assemblies and festivals that are all show with no substance.  Blood-letting sacrifices bring no pleasure.

Then he switches to assail the hypocrisy of that worship contrasted with the shedding of blood through evil deeds and the acceptance of injustice.  His eye-opening statement “Your hands are full of blood!” is his way of saying (for God): “You spill blood on my altars to seek my favor yet you spill the blood of my people for your self-serving purposes.  Wash yourselves clean!”

How many of us are guilty of this hypocrisy?  We attend and worship in Church and then leave to repeat our offenses against our neighbors.  We wrong people.  We close our eyes and ears to those in need.

God tells us, “Trample my courts no more!”  We go to Mass where we receive the blood of Christ.  When we leave, do we spill the blood of the poor, the wronged, the orphan, and the widow through neglect and thoughtlessness?

Let’s ask ourselves when we spread out our hands, does God’s eyes close to us?  Even though we pray the more, does God listen?  Very likely, but only when we cease doing evil; learn to do good; make justice our aim; redress the wronged; hear the orphan’s plea; and defend the widow.

Deacon David Pierce