Feast of St. Aloysius Gonzaga 2010

Today, the Catholic Church celebrates the feast of St. Aloysius Gonzaga (1568-1591). Strictly speaking, St. Aloysius was not yet a priest before he died. He was in his fourth year of theology and would have been ordained had he not died in serving the sick in a plague. His charity was noble and his example a living Christ. Good people die young. In previous years, it did not occur to me that I should write about him. As 2010 is the Priestly Year. The story of St. Aloysius, though brief, is worth mentioning. He was canonized by Pope Benedict XIII in 1726.

Today, we read of the story of the demise of Israel, the northern kingdom. Not only does the Second Book of Kings describe the events, but it also passes judgment and explains why such a fate befell Israel.
Hoshea was the last king of Israel. Again he did what was evil in the sight of God (2 Kings 17:2). Then God sent Assyria to invade Israel.
Against him came up Shalmaneser king of Assyria; and Hoshea became his vassal, and paid him tribute (2 Kings 17:3).
Somehow, Hoshea followed the example of the Egyptian king and did not paid tribute to Assyria.
Then the king of Assyria invaded all the land and came to Samaria, and for three years he besieged it.
In the ninth year of Hoshea the king of Assyria captured Samaria, and he carried the Israelites away to Assyria, and placed them in Halah, and on the Habor, the river of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes (2 Kings 17:5-6).
The ten tribes of Israel were dispersed and vanished in history. The Second Book of Kings explains why (2 Kings 17:7-18).
God delivered the Israelites out of the slavery in Egypt. But when they settled down in Canaan where God had driven out the nations for them, the Israelites picked up the idolatry of the land. The Second Book of Kings lists their evils in great details.
and (the people of Israel) walked in the customs of the nations whom the LORD drove out before the people of Israel, and in the customs which the kings of Israel had introduced.
And the people of Israel did secretly against the LORD their God things that were not right. They built for themselves high places at all their towns, from watchtower to fortified city;
they set up for themselves pillars and Asherim on every high hill and under every green tree;
and there they burned incense on all the high places, as the nations did whom the LORD carried away before them. And they did wicked things, provoking the LORD to anger,
and they served idols, of which the LORD had said to them, "You shall not do this." (2 Kings 17:8-12)
The Israelites did all these until King Solomon built the First Temple. The centralization of Temple worship did not succeed in abolishing idolatry. Then God sent prophets to warn them but they did not listen. They refused to follow the commandments of God (2 Kings 17:13-15).
After the Kingdom was divided, the northern king Jeroboam built 2 golden calves, one in Bethel and the other in Dan, for the people to worship because the Temple was located in Jerusalem, in the southern kingdom (1 Kings 12:28-33). More horrible things followed.
And they forsook all the commandments of the LORD their God, and made for themselves molten images of two calves; and they made an Asherah, and worshiped all the host of heaven, and served Baal.
And they burned their sons and their daughters as offerings, and used divination and sorcery, and sold themselves to do evil in the sight of the LORD, provoking him to anger.
Therefore the LORD was very angry with Israel, and removed them out of his sight; none was left but the tribe of Judah only (2 Kings 17:16-18).
Who had burned their sons and daughters as offerings? It was forbidden in Deuteronomy 12:31, 18:10.
The king of Moab did (2 Kings 3:27). King Ahaz of Judah did (2 Kings 16:3). King Manasseh of Judah did (2 Kings 21:6). Of course, the Bible does not have a complete record. Among the records in the Second Book of Kings, only sons were mentioned. Furthermore, there is no record of kings of Israel burning their sons. It only indicates the incompleteness of records. Otherwise, Deuteronomy would not have forbidden it. It was horrid.

Dear Lord, Your commandments are sweet. They prevent us from committing horrible sins. Let us contemplate them and act accordingly. Amen.