As they reached the threshing floor of Nodan, Uzzah stretched out his hand to the ark of God and steadied it, for the oxen were tipping it. Then the LORD became angry with Uzzah; God struck him on that spot, and he died there in God’s presence. David was angry because the LORD’s wrath had broken out against Uzzah. Therefore that place has been called Perez-uzzah even to this day. David became frightened of the LORD that day, and he said, “How can the ark of the LORD come to me?” 2 Samuel 6:6-9
For several weeks now I have felt the Lord in prayer speaking to me about Uzzah being struck dead for touching the Ark of the Covenant. This story was always hard for me to understand. It just seemed so harsh. But over the past few years, as I have felt God speak to me about the Mass, I began to have a larger understanding of what actually happened in this story. Though I am no biblical scholar, and I am open to correction, I want to relay what I feel the Lord telling me in prayer.
Uzzah was the son of Abinadab. The Ark had been in Abinadab’s house. Uzzah would have been familiar with it. David, for his part, would have known how to transport the Ark, it was to be carried by the Priests, the Levites. Not just the Levites, but a specific family of Levites. But when David decided to transport the Ark to Jerusalem, he didn’t follow the instructions God gave. He put the Ark on a cart which Uzzah was driving. When the oxen started to tumble Uzzah touched the Ark in order to keep it steady and God struck him dead. Fear came over David.
It’s worth pondering the Gift of the Holy Spirit called “Fear of the Lord.” It seems we don’t have any these days, and Uzzah, perhaps because of his familiarity with the Ark, had forgotten it too. What I sense happening in this story is a systemic breakdown beginning with the breakdown of proper use of authority and ending with the one who fell under that authority, each having a role and responsibility.
David as the leader who disobeyed God in order to be faster, put the man in his charge in grave danger. When our leaders make decisions that bypass God’s law in order to make things easier, it is the flock that suffers. These things are usually years in the making, so by the time it gets to where we are in time the situation is dire.
Uzzah did something else here that is also worth pondering. He tried to save God. How many times do we try to become the savior when it is not our job to do? It doesn’t mean we must be silent in an injustice, but it does mean speaking to God to discern when and how to act. We can hope in the mercy of God for Uzzah that God knew his intention, but we can also understand that when God commands something, which is always for our good, we would do well to obey. I tend to think that Uzzah’s death was a mercy, for if that had not taken place David would not have paused and perhaps would have strayed even further from God. But we have such a misunderstanding of God’s goodness most of us are unable to see how this could be so. Union with God is better than anything we can comprehend, and it is usually only in death that we have this union. But everything in salvation history is a movement back towards this union.
If we think about the fact that the Ark of the Covenant did not actually contain God but His Spirit hovered over it, but the Eucharist does actually contain God, we should all take great pause at this story. Over the years I have seen Eucharistic abuse reach new heights. The authority has allowed it, and the people, in their familiarity, probably aren’t even aware of it even as they trample Christ. God knows the intention of your heart. My stating all of this is not meant as judgment but observation.
Now, at a time when Fear of the Lord and reverence should increase, what I see happening is the opposite. The Eucharist placed in hands that are fumbling to get a mask off. Particles of Jesus sticking to hand sanitizer. Refusal of Priests and Bishops to distribute the Eucharist in a way prescribed by church law. People who have Fear of the Lord and want to show reverence are called selfish. Instead of reordering ourselves back to the Lord and doing what He asked, we are trying to be our own savior. This almost never turns out well if you read the bible.
What do we expect is going to happen? I have no doubt, no doubt at all, that the intentions are good. God knows it too. But we must ask ourselves, will it strike us dead? And if it does, are our hearts prepared to meet the Lord? We have ignored for so long what the Lord has asked in so many ways. Take time now to examine your conscience. We cannot control others, nor should we desire to, for God does not try to control our free will. But we can look at ourselves and offer our will to God. We can ask God to help us do His will.
For my part I can only be as reverent as I know how. I can only say I will not partake in abuse. But like Uzzah, I cannot save God. How He will choose to save us this time, only He knows. I trust in Him.
As counties now dictate that the Eucharist cannot even be given out, and thus far, we really see no response from the Bishop, we can only get on our knees and pray.
It has always been about the Eucharist. Satan wants to make you think the church is dead and Christ is gone from our midst. But He isn’t. He has been preparing us for such a time as this. He has been making us living sanctuaries. And the Gates of Hell shall not prevail.
Today’s Gospel states, “so that they may all be one, as you, Father, are in me and I in you, that they may also be in us, that the world may believe that you sent me. And I have given them the glory you gave me, so that they may be one, as we are one….” John 17:21-22. We have been given God’s glory. Do not be afraid. Go forth and love with a love that is true. We were made for these times. Peace be with you.
Veil of Veronica 
I have also been concerned with Jesus being desecrated in the Eucharist, especially by these new precautions at Mass, either particles of Him being desecrated in hand sanitizer or from the gloves that will be thrown away after Mass. I feel like your article was perfect timing. Thank you.
I have also been concerned with Jesus being desecrated in the Eucharist, especially by these new precautions at Mass, either particles of Him being desecrated in hand sanitizer or from the gloves that will be thrown away after Mass. I feel like your article was perfect timing. Thank you.
“Good intentions,” was absolutely the downfall of those in the Bible. Examples: Eve had good intentions when eating the fruit to gain knowledge, destroyed all of humanity. Abraham had good intentions when he slept with Hagar to have a Son, not the Covenant Son, this started the whole Muslim Nation, Job’s friends had good intentions when he was setting in his ashes, God was going to kill them. The Pharisees had good intentions when they Crucified Jesus, “Better one Man die than a whole nation be destroyed.”
Good intentions does not always mean they are “God’s intentions.” You know the devil does appear as an “Angel of Light.” Good post and God Bless, SR
yes I have spoken of this in many past posts that though God does care about intentions the devil does not and is just looking for you to open a door so he can come in and destroy. And that’s exactly what he is doing.
Does church law allow for communion in the hand?
it does as an indult.
Be blessed!
Communion on the tongue is more reverent
And Pope st.john Paul ll preferred that way.
Our lady at aura thanked the seer Sr. Sasagawa
Fir not having received Jesus her son in the hand.
Way too many abuses receiving in the hand! Too many particles of the hosts are being dropped, etc.
please try to receive from a priest on the tongue.
I do receive on the tongue and have for years and I have have written about it. I have discerned that I would abstain from receiving rather than fumble around with a mask. Thankfully our Bishop did say no one can be refused on the tongue and we have many faithful Priests here.
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Our Dear Lord Jesus, certainly, has not turned His back on us! As a supposition, He may have withheld Himself from us on account of our apathy, because we have made the Holy of Holies, sublime!
While praying, as a preparation to receive the Holy Eucharist, I happened to look at my hands…and I realized, with horror, they were rather “dirty”!
…and it wasn’t just from the dust and dirt from picking up dropped car keys in a parking lot.
I felt a little a sense of “revulsion” that the “Blessed Sacrament” has come to be handled so cavalierly!
This happened about two years ago and I have been receiving Him only on the tongue since. Now, that many of us can no longer receive Him at all and thinking on present circumstances, I truly wonder if our Dear Lord was getting “TIRED OF BEING SO ABUSED”!
I have asked my family to not receive Him in the hand, with the exception of my adult Down’s Syndrome daughter who has some aphasia, but they do resist for their own reasons.
I do believe in His true presence in the Holy Eucharist! But, others may need some help and understanding in making up their minds to really appreciate all that our faith encompasses. And this is the time to do it!
It is stated, through the Blessed Mother, that we will experience an exceptional gift of an “Illumination of Conscience”, a chance to recollect and amend our lives never given to the human race before. Let us prepare now, while there is still time.
May our Dear Lord return Himself to us in all the Holy Sacraments! You are very much missed!
Our parishes opened up for Pentecost~NO Masses~we were to line up outside the Church and wait with masks on until we were allowed in to receive Our Lord. Afterward, we were to leave immediately, without pausing to pray in Thanksgiving to Our Lord! After much prayer, I chose not to go. I have been very blessed during the lockdown, because our Church is open from 11-12 daily, and if there are less than 10 people left in the Church at 12, the doors are locked and the priest celebrates, and i recieve Our Lord on my tongue! I felt that going Sunday, it would be like going to get a cookie rather than receiving tne Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of MY LORD JESUS CHRIST! I didn’t want to be a part of that desecration!
Susan, did you already post this below link to canon law ? Forgive me if it is a repeat, but It might be of help to read, so that faithful can know the truth: no one may refuse your receiving of Jesus on the tongue. It is simply not church law…. and the USCCB actually re-iterated that fact in 2014 with a specific letter here in America: you cannot refuse to give the Eucharist to someone who desires it on the tongue. To say that a state health rule over-rides a church canon rule is not a valid argument in a country where church and state are separate by law. If you go inside a church, the canon law presides. I have been attending Mass with mask, then standing in line with my mask, then receiving Our Lord on the tongue when I arrive before the priest, then pulling my mask back up as I return to my seat. It works. They cannot refuse this. It is canon law. NO Bishop can override canon law…
I hate to belabor this discussion further but I really feel that we must “grow up” as a people of faith and learn to stand tall in our beliefs, doing what our mind and our heart tells us we must. If we just fold and shut down at the first sign of obstruction then we are toast. Jesus IS worth fighting for. The Truth IS worth fighting for. We must be brave. We must be bold. We must be firm . And yes, we must be patient and kind in defending our beliefs. IF over the past 2000 years, the faithful had just crawled into caves every time opposition raised its ugly head we would no longer have a faith at all. Apostasy is not what many think. It is not a clear choice to no longer believe. It is a fearful choice to no longer witness to our beliefs. The first posture is internal .The second , is external. We should take time now , before the full-blown persecution is upon us, to consider which comes first, the chicken or the egg. You can say “both” , because you can have an inner conviction and act upon it externally…just as much as your external behavior can actually lead you to have a change in inner conviction.
https://canonlawmadeeasy.com/2020/03/12/communion-in-the-hand-virus/
That is one of the most essential things in our faith, one that you help us so much with right here on this blog, Susan : knowledge of the faith. When we know something, it gives us strength to stand upon that knowledge . When we are ignorant, we lack the confidence to move forward with firmness. And love. It is first and foremost a movement of love to inform another of the truth. It is a Spiritual Work of Mercy…
We love you, Susan. And we thank you for the work of Truth you are doing here, unveiling His Face so clearly… May He bless you in time and in eternity ! XXXOOO
I know what Canon Law says and thankfully I have been able to receive on the tongue but I have many friends who are being refused. The problem is you cannot really be quoting canon law at Mass when you are in a situation where you are refused. It left one friend of mine humiliated. People are being shamed that they are selfish if they want to receive this way when the reality is they just know exactly who they receiving and want to love him and not cause abuse. I have told them to unite their suffering to the cross. It is the Priests and Bishops we need to pray for because they are culpable. All we can do is be reverent and pray when we are put in these circumstances.
“But like Uzzah I cannot save God”. Mary could not save God either, knowing these things had to happen. I don’t know how she did it but grace. All grace.
There was a priest at a healing Mass once that said not to fear, or be sad about the things we saw happening because they had to happen in order for Christ to return, which we all yearn for. That Scripture had to be fulfilled and it couldn’t be if these things did not happen. It gave me perspective. I still get very upset, angry at times when I see what is transpiring in the Church, but today I heard the Lord say “do not weep for me, but for yourselves and your children”.
Somehow, I lost the link to your blog, but, alleluia, I’m back! This one really touched home for me. So our parish is not open yet, but they are having a drive in Mass on Sundays. I refuse to attend, as the Sacred Host is passed through a window! I cannot express how sickening this is to me! Needless to say, I’m attending another parish. This shutdown our churches has added much to the liturgical abuse that was already there to begin with.
prayers