ICEMANforChrist

Haggai Haggai’s words concern conditions in the Persian province of Judah at the beginning of the reign of the Persian king Darius I (522–486 B.C.). The community in Judah is struggling with its identity in light of the loss of its statehood through the demise of the monarchy and the destruction of the Temple. Haggai’s oracles address both these problems. First, the provincial government, despite its subordination to Persian domination, is seen as the legitimate heir to the Davidic monarchy; the governor Zerubbabel, himself a descendant of the Davidic line, and the high priest Joshua together provide political, economic, and religious leadership for the survivors of the Babylonian destruction and the returnees from the Babylonian exile who live together in Judah. Still, the possibility for restoration of Davidic rule is not relinquished but rather is shifted to the future. Second, the Temple’s ruined state is addressed by a rebuilding program. The prophet links the...

ST. PIUS V Zephaniah, Chapter 3, Verse 15-16 15 The LORD has removed the judgment against you, he has turned away your enemies; The King of Israel, the LORD, is in your midst, you have no further misfortune to fear . 16 On that day, it shall be said to Jerusalem: Do not fear , Zion, do not be discouraged! Zephaniah like many prophets closes by offering the Israelites a plan for repentance that invites the people to walk in it. He navigates the path back to God, outlining it this way. [1] 1.       Wait for God to remove the cancerous population. (vv. 8-11) 2.       Trust God to restore a remnant of humble, obedient men and women. (vv. 12-13) 3.       Look to God and rejoice that he has taken away your guilt. (vv. 14-15) 4.       Hope in God to renew your peace and strength (vv. 16-17) 5.       Allow God to recover the appointed fe...

Zephaniah Zephaniah’s prophecy of judgment on Judah and Jerusalem emphasizes, perhaps more than any other prophecy, the devastation and death that divine judgment will bring. Described as the day of the Lord, the Day of Judgment is pictured as a time of darkness, of anguish and distress, of destruction and plunder of cities, and of threat to all life, human and animal alike. The major sins motivating this judgment, in Zephaniah’s view, are Judah’s worship of other deities and its unjust and abusive leadership. [1] APRIL 29 Fifth Sunday after Easter FULL PINK MOON Zephaniah, Chapter 3, verse 7 7 I said, “Surely now you will fear me, you will accept correction; They cannot fail to see all I have brought upon them.” Yet the more eagerly they have done all their corrupt deeds. Zephaniah writes of the wickedness of Jerusalem and God’s desire for its leaders to accept His correction in the end it takes the act of God to set the world right...