Amos 5: 14-15, 21-24
Seek good and not evil,
that you may live;
and so the Lord, the God of hosts, will be with you,
just as you have said.
Hate evil and love good,
and establish justice in the gate;
it may be that the Lord, the God of hosts,
will be gracious to the remnant of Joseph.
I hate, I despise your festivals,
and I take no delight in your solemn assemblies.
Even though you offer me your burnt offerings and grain offerings,
I will not accept them;
and the offerings of well-being of your fatted animals
I will not look upon.
Take away from me the noise of your songs;
I will not listen to the melody of your harps.
But let justice roll down like waters,
and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.
New Revised Standard Version, copyright 1989, by the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved. USCCB approved.
Let Justice and Compassion Flow
The prophet Amos speaks words considered disturbing to people who believed that worship alone was enough. God rejects religious practice that is separated from justice: “Let justice roll down like water and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.”
This call to justice is no less important today. It is not possible to pray sincerely while remaining indifferent to the suffering around us. Amos reminds us that faith cannot remain confined to churches or private devotion. God’s love must transform the way we treat others, especially those living on the margins. True prayer changes our hearts and moves our hands toward love and action.
Ignatian spirituality invites us to find God in all things, especially in the cries and hopes of our world. Faith becomes alive when our encounter with God becomes a commitment to others.
Where do I sense God inviting me to let justice and compassion flow through my life?
—Robenson Siquitte, SJ, is a member of the Jesuits of the Canada and Haiti Province and currently serves with American Jesuits International (AJI) in Washington, D.C.
Prayer
God of justice and mercy, soften my heart when I resist your call to conversion.
Help me recognize Christ in the wounded, the forgotten, and the poor.
May my faith bear fruit in compassion, courage, and action.
Amen.
—Robenson Siquitte, SJ