110525

 

Woke up SO SEVERELY DEHYDRATED I legit thought I was going to die. Nauseous, trembling & twitching all over, headache, weak, on the verge of passing out, limbs tingling like lightning, mouth buzzing, hands numb. TERRIFYING.
Barely made it to mass. Sister drove us home and we IMMEDIATELY downed an entire Gatorlyte, then ordered a 12pack on Amazon because we are NOT getting stuck without this stuff anymore; it's the ONLY electrolyte drink that stops our symptoms.
But yeah, an hour later we are NO LONGER DELIRIOUS & SHAKING thank You God!!!
We spent the meantime fixing the Christmas lights AGAIN and moving the TBHU art to the bedroom.

Now we are going to bike VERY SLOWLY because we went hard yesterday and I think that started the spiral, plus not eating until 2pm you idiot
Legit think were going to eat at 1130 today? We're trying to push it earlier because it now gets dark at 5PM and that sets off ALL our alarm bells. Food plus night equals PANIC and we'd like to avoid that.
Hemp takes 2.5 hours if paced properly. Prayer takes 30m, so that's already 3 hours solid. Broccoli takes 2 hours if paced properly; rushing to 1.5 makes us sick. So in total, we need a clear 5.5 hours, 6 tops, for eating/ praying/ Bible study. That means, if we start at 1130, we will be DONE BY 5PM. That's perfect.
Starting at noon would "feel" ideal, but I think 530 is too late, especially as the evening shadows continue to arrive earlier. By the heart of winter it'll be dark by 4, probably, and we need to get ready for that– meaning, the "best schedule" for ensuring daylight eating hours would be 1030am–4pm. That actually WOULD be ideal, because then on weekends we only have to push back about one hour (930am–3pm, or 9am–230pm) before Mass. So we'll have a consistent schedule.
The only concern = postprandial crash. Eating inevitably makes us extremely tired & confused & weak. Our body hasn't regularly eaten & kept the food down for YEARS, so it's probably struggling now, plus we're eating more calories than EVER outside of a hospital, because we're still about 12 years old according to the Tylenol bottle dosage, haha. 96 pounds buddy! But we need to gain weight, quite frankly, to survive. So we try, one day at a time, and we ALSO need to DRINK MORE LIQUID for heavens sakes bro your husband is made of water what's wrong with you. It's scandalous. Go get Lynne to help if you need to, her "cold fluids" injoke just might save your skinny ass.

I'm still lightheaded & vaguely nauseous. I hope to God it doesn't stick around. Worst case scenario though, we already have our backpack prepped with toiletries & hemphearts (3 days worth if needed), and our "hospital outfit" is hanging ready on the door. So if things continue to nosedive, the ambulance is only a few minutes away and we are as ready for it as we can be.
Just MAKE SURE YOU REMEMBER YOUR ROSARY THIS TIME!!! Also we NEED a portable crucifix; honestly we should grab the little standup one by the TV or stove (we have one in every room) for now. But one to STAY in the backpack is CRUCIAL.
...and five minutes later, thank you God for Amazon, we just added a gorgeous little red enamel crucifix (Saint Benedict medal design) to tomorrow's Gatorlyte + Christmas lights delivery. Seven bucks, totally worth the expense if it's going to act as our tangible anchor while in the E.R. We'll get it blessed ASAP.
I'm laughing though; that's such a "me" vibe, that order. Electrolytes, Jesus, and Christmas lights. All it's missing is Celebi merch, haha. *...looks real quick* Nope, nothing that would ship tomorrow. HEY I TRIED.

I just noticed: Astronauts, etc. took my favorite two albums of his– "Mind Out Wandering" and "Sadie"– OFF of Spotify??? MIMIC BRO WHAT DO WE DO
Seriously though I've been listening to his stuff since it was released; if I'm not mistaken, I think "Sadie" was also previewed as a single on rcrdlbl before it went defunct??? But yeah it's been ages. I hope this is just a temporary issue.
In ANY case, the things I do for my octopus. *WANDERS OVER TO BANDCAMP AND JUST BUYS THE ALBUMS*


In System news...
We forgot Adelaide's name for TWO DAYS. That was terrifying. Julie was in tears.
Yesterday a few of the "bathroom fear children" gave us tentative names & faces like we asked!
I remember SARA ("make sure" girl, about 9, pale yellow, midlength straight fine hair), and DOROTHY ("don't touch that it's dirty," girl, about 7, bluish brown?? Glasses & short curls?)? There was at least one other girl I think, little, very washed out light green?? But she struggled to find a name or face.

We realized the kids did not seem to even understand how "late" their panicked rituals were making us.
Julie observed, "they only exist in this context. Time means nothing to them."


Evening =
Mom called during dinner for 13m and immediately I noticed myself irritated & distracted at the "schedule interruption." So I stopped and told myself, "GOD has LET this happen ON PURPOSE, for your good, even if you don't understand or feel it. So TRUST HIM and cooperate, willingly– you have to CHOOSE to WANT this, with GRATEFUL JOY, because GOD wants it FOR you." So I made a GENUINE EFFORT to put EVERYTHING DOWN and just LISTEN to her, attentively and caringly, as she deserves and as I truly want to do. And it REFRESHED MY HEART. Like a good workout, it was demanding in exertion, but afterwards it was so uplifting, like bubbles. Thank You God for that consolation, which I do not deserve, but which served to prove Your righteousness and glorify Your loving nature by tangibly shaming me, chastising my hard-hearted selfishness by showing me the holy softness I had barred myself from sharing in.
But you know WHY my heart was refreshed? Because I actually LET MYSELF LOVE MY MOTHER. That beautiful feeling was the natural result of LOVE. And my heart has been a burnt out, ice cold chunk of ice and coal for too long. It used to be warm, soft, bright... didn't it? If not, I WANT it to be, now, in CHRIST.
...You know what? I just realized what I need. I need Mary to teach me to join in her "Fiat." "Let it be done to me according to Thy Word." "Thy Will Be Done." But HOW? Because "I am the handmaiden of the Lord"! THAT'S what I've been missing since high school!! I haven't been a GIRL! And when I WAS a girl, I WASN'T "OF THE LORD". And I've NEVER BEFORE been a child of MARY. So this is all new, all grace, at last. No wonder the System hasn't been able to rebuild in seven years. We COULDN'T. We weren't SUPPOSED to rebuilt on those ruins, just like I've been reading about Babylon. EVERYTHING in those destruction oracles APPLIES TO WHO WE WERE IN SLC/CNC. We were, quite literally, the very whore of hell that Scripture dooms to damnation. And it REQUIRED the utter destruction OF THAT SYSTEM in order for GOD to RESCUE A REMNANT FOR HIMSELF. So... our foundation has been wrong up to this point. That gives us such hope, actually. It means that we CANNOT go back because God has a DIFFERENT FUTURE for us, one anchored in HIM. And I really honestly think it does start with "turning back" and "coming home from exile". We need to be... I need to be a girl again. I need to be part of my family again. I need to be a good Catholic for the first time. I need to return to my "first love," to Jesus, to the God Who created me for a holy purpose which I have long since forgotten and neglected. It all begins with repentance, with metanoia, with my own heart's "fiat," with my own heart's crucifixion. I have hope. How beautifully funny, that God is using both my mothers as channels of it.


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110525

https://biblehub.com/hebrew/7093.htm
Qets
...speaks of an “end” in the sense of a limit reached— temporal, spatial, or purposive. The term can indicate:
The conclusion of an era (time)
The extremity of a territory (space)
The farthest horizon perceptible (conceptual? Comprehensible?)
The appointed climax of a prophetic word (purpose).

Qets shows a consistent biblical concern with endings—whether of days, destinies, or divine decrees.

1. Universal judgment: “Then God said to Noah, ‘The end of all flesh is come before Me’”. Here qets inaugurates a cataclysmic reset, prefiguring later prophetic announcements of a final reckoning.
2. Daniel’s visions... repeatedly couple qets with “the time of the end,” weaving together Israel’s history and the consummation of the age... “Seal the book until the time of the end” anticipates revelation withheld until its appointed moment.

Personal Mortality and Individual Destiny
Job 14:5 speaks of the “limits” appointed for every person.
Psalm 39:4 petitions, “LORD, make me to know my end… that I may know how fleeting I am.”
Qets thus grounds a sober theology of life’s brevity, calling believers to stewardship in this life and hope beyond the grave.

Seasons, Cycles, and Divinely Appointed Periods
Genesis often employs the phrase “at the end of” to mark critical turning points. These passages underscore God’s sovereignty over time— forty days of waiting end, Joseph’s prison sentence expires, and redemptive pivots occur exactly on schedule.
(One of the referenced verses is Gen 4:3= "At the designated time Cain brought some of the fruit of the ground for an offering to the LORD." The phrase is also translated "When it was time for the harvest," "in the process of time it came to pass," "after many days," or even "And it shall be at the end of days"! Considering the immense gravity of the event described, this is a fascinating use of "qets".)

Spatial Boundaries use qets for “ends of the earth,” affirming God’s universal rule. The phrase galvanizes the missional thrust of Israel’s calling and foreshadows Christ’s Great Commission to the “ends of the earth”... encouraging global evangelism rooted in God’s panoramic redemptive plan.

Psalm 119:96 reflects, “To all perfection I see a limit, but Your commandment is boundless.” Even the finest human endeavor or achievement meets its qets; only divine revelation surpasses every boundary.

Ezekiel 7 punctuates every oracle with “An end! The end has come upon the four corners of the land!” Yet Ezekiel 11:13–20 moves from termination to renewal, revealing that the same God who brings an end also births a new covenant heart.

From pre-flood antediluvian humanity to post-exilic Judah, the canonical narrative groups multiple “ends” that collectively declare God’s moral governance of history. Each occurrence of qets signals either a closing chapter (e.g., Babylon’s seventy years) or the dawning of a new movement in salvation history.

1. Sovereignty: Nothing concludes by chance; every qets is divinely fixed.
2. Hope: Eschatological “end” merges judgment with restoration, anchoring Israel’s and the Church’s expectation of Messiah’s kingdom.
3. Ethics: Awareness of an appointed end intensifies present obedience (1 Peter 4:7 echoes the motif: “The end of all things is near”).

Preach qets texts to remind congregations of life’s brevity, motivating repentance and mission.

Psalm 39:4–7 offers a framework for sufferers confronting mortality. ("And so, Lord, where do I put my hope? My only hope is in you.")

Though qets is Hebrew, its theological freight carries into the Greek telos. Jesus declares, “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End” (Revelation 22:13), fulfilling every anticipatory qets. The cross is the decisive end of sin’s dominion, and the resurrection inaugurates the age to come ("Then comes the end, when He delivers the kingdom to God the Father after annulling & abolishing [basically "ending"] every rule and every authority and power.")

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https://biblehub.com/hebrew/517.htm
Em
traditionally signifies a biological mother, yet its semantic field extends to an “ancestress,” “nurturer,” or “source.” Several passages employ the term metaphorically for cities, nations, and even animals, highlighting the concept of origin or protection.


Roles and Symbolism
1. Biological Parent—First appears in Genesis 2:24 where the union of husband and wife supersedes original filial ties.
2. Educator and Disciplinarian—Proverbs recurrently pairs “mother” with “father” in exhortations: “My son, keep your father’s commandment, and forsake not your mother’s teaching." ...Showing harmony between Old and New Testament parental commands affirms Scripture’s coherence.
3. Comforter—“As a mother comforts her son, so will I comfort you” lifts the [tenderly] mundane into a divine analogy... uniquely grounding pastoral comfort in God’s maternal compassion for the brokenhearted.
4. Covenant Model— Moses’ appeal to "honor one’s mother" situates maternal reverence within covenantal obedience, attaching the blessing of longevity.
5. Boundary Marker—Law codes protect the dignity of motherhood: cursing, striking, or sexual violation invite severe penalties, revealing God’s guarded concern for family order.

Maternal lineage often secures covenant continuity. The offspring of Sarah, Rebekah’s role in securing the blessing for Jacob, and Bathsheba’s advocacy for Solomon illustrate how mothers safeguard divine promises. In Judges 5:7 Deborah calls herself “a mother in Israel,” portraying covenant leadership through maternal imagery.
Deborah and Bathsheba illustrate how maternal advocacy influences national direction; modern church leaders can [combat the culture of toxic feminism and uphold God's good order by affirming] faithful women whose motherly roles advance Kingdom purposes.

Proverbs and Job furnish reflection on mothers’ influence upon character. Likewise, the acrostic portrait of the virtuous wife in Proverbs 31 indirectly extols the future blessing OF motherhood: “Her children rise up and call her blessed”.

‼️‼️‼️‼️⭐⭐⭐ Prophets employ em to dramatize Israel’s relationship with God. Hosea’s indictments against the faithless “mother” parallel Israel’s covenant breach. Ezekiel 19 personifies Judah as a lioness whose cubs are deported— illustrating exile as maternal bereavement. The metaphor intensifies divine pathos and underscores the moral gravity of apostasy.

Several “mother” texts indirectly foreshadow the Messiah’s lineage: Genesis 3:15 promises a seed through the woman; Isaiah 7:14 presents a virgin mother bearing Immanuel; Micah 5:3 predicts a time when “she who is in labor gives birth,” after which the ruler shepherds Israel. Christian interpretation sees these maternal prophecies converging in Mary, though the Hebrew term appears in their immediate contexts for genealogical precision.

While Greek "μήτηρ" replaces Hebrew "em", apostolic teaching sustains the fifth commandment. Jesus’ own respect for Mary models covenant honor. Paul’s comparison of the Jerusalem above as “our mother” mirrors Isaiah’s maternal Zion, showing biblical unity across covenants.

[Emphasize the importance of] Family Ministry– Highlight maternal responsibility in shaping faith; encourage biblical literacy by studying Proverbs together [with your children AND spouse?].

Em functions as a theological anchor for origin, nurture, and covenant fidelity. From Eden to Zion, Scripture exalts motherhood as a tangible channel of God’s redemptive work and a living metaphor for His sustaining grace.

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https://biblehub.com/hebrew/520.htm
ammah
Prolonged from 'em; properly, a mother (i.e. Unit of measure, or the fore-arm (below the elbow), i.e. A cubit; also a door-base (as a bond of the entrance) 
...marks a meeting point between the human body and God-given structure, joining the created order to divine instruction.
[WEIRDLY THAT IS VERY "MOTHERLY"; it gives major "pregnancy/ birth" vibes]

Precise cubit counts [in building the Ark] communicate that judgement and salvation alike unfold according to the Lord’s exact designs.
Genesis 11 implies cubits in the ill-fated attempt at Babel, contrasting human self-exaltation with the ark’s obedient measurements.

The Tabernacle and its furnishings are almost wholly defined by cubit instructions, portraying holiness that is both spatial and relational. Each detail confirms that earnest worship does not invent its own dimensions but receives them, foreshadowing the New Testament truth that “worship in spirit and in truth” never conflicts with divinely revealed order.

Solomon’s Temple— The gold-laden inner sanctuary formed a perfect cube of twenty cubits, prefiguring the [Holy City, the Heavenly Jerusalem] whose length, width, and height are equal.
• Bronze Pillars, Sea, lavers, and portico dimensions further exhibit cubit-based symmetry that mirrors divine glory.
• Walls of Jerusalem—Jeremiah 52:21 documents copper columns “eighteen cubits high” taken to Babylon, signalling that exile never nullifies God’s measurements; restoration will one day realign reality to the same standard.

Ezekiel 40–48 contains the densest single block of "ammah" usage (over 100 occurrences). A man “whose appearance was like bronze” measures the visionary temple with “a measuring rod six long cubits”. The prophet watches gateways, courts, chambers, altar, and sanctuary brought under that rod, assuring the exiles that God’s future dwelling will be precisely and permanently holy. Revelation later borrows the motif of angelic measurement, linking the long cubit of Ezekiel to the everlasting kingdom of Christ.
This vision emphasizes the precision and divine order associated with God's holy dwelling [and therefore also] required in the service and worship of God.

Goliath’s height “six cubits and a span,” yet even the tallest enemy falls before the Name of the LORD... mere bodily size gains no favor when truth is lacking.

Cubit formulas regulate everyday justice and safety: Deuteronomy mandates honest measures, implying cubits equal in house and field... Second Temple water tunnels and city walls employ cubits to balance security and stewardship.

1. Order reflects character. God’s meticulous use of cubits showcases His faithfulness “in all His ways" and "holy in all His works” .
2. Revelation is sufficient. From ark to temple, no craftsman needed to guess at length or width; likewise, Scripture supplies all we need for life and godliness.
3. Judgment and mercy are measured. The same cubit that framed the doorposts also defined the bronze altar of sacrifice, teaching that grace and justice never conflict.
4. Human limitation magnifies divine omnipotence. Jesus asked, “Who of you by worrying can add a single cubit to his height?”. Our inability to lengthen even an "ammah" urges trust in the Father who "measures" the very heavens "with a span".
5. Gospel fulfillment. The perfectly cubed Holy of Holies anticipates believers “being built together into a dwelling place for God”, while the measured New Jerusalem proclaims final, flawless communion.

[I tossed "cubit that framed the doorposts" into Google and AI gave me these beautiful insights =
God's standards of judgment and mercy, or justice and grace, are consistent and perfectly balanced. 
1.Consistency of Divine Standards: The central point is that the same divine principle or measurement (the "cubit") is applied universally to all aspects of God's plan. It implies fairness, order, and an unchanging nature in God's dealings.
2. Justice and Mercy: The specific application often cited is that the same measure used for the bronze altar of sacrifice (symbolizing atonement and mercy) was also used for other parts of the temple (symbolizing holiness and justice), teaching that these divine attributes never conflict.
3. Holiness and Access: In the context of the Temple and Tabernacle measurements (found in books like Exodus and Ezekiel), doorposts and gates were precisely measured to mark the boundary between the common and the sacred. The exact cubit measurement ensured that access to God's presence was on His terms, which were consistent and established by covenant, not human whims.
The use of precise measurements, down to the cubit, in biblical descriptions of the Tabernacle and Temple emphasizes God's attention to detail and the importance of exact obedience to His instructions."

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https://biblehub.com/jeremiah/51-13.htm

"You are rich, but now the time has come for you to die."
"You who are rich in plundered treasure, it is time for your lives to be cut off... Your end has come, And the line measuring your life is cut."
"thy end is come for thy entire destruction."

"O dweller on many waters, abundant in treasures, Your end has come— the measure of your dishonest gain & covetousness."
"O thou that hast so great treasure and riches, thine end is come, and the reckoning of thy winnings."

"your end has arrived, your measure has been cut short."
"your end has come; your wound is grievous and your plague is severe... it has entered into thy bowels."

The abundance of water contributed to Babylon's prosperity and strategic importance. Babylon's location and resources made it a powerful empire, known for its wealth and influence, but also a target for divine judgment.
Though surrounded by life-giving rivers, Babylon would learn that no earthly advantage can shield a nation from the Lord’s judgment [because HE is the TRUE Source of "life-giving water," and since they rejected HIM, He would justly take away all counterfeit substitutes]

In biblical symbolism, "many waters" often represent nations or peoples [fitting here as Babylon "intoxicated the world" with her own "waters", as it were].

Babylon was known for its wealth and opulence... depicted as a center of commerce and luxury... Babylon amassed vast wealth through conquest, tribute, and trade– gold from conquered temples, trophies from Jerusalem, and goods from caravans... Prosperity fostered pride and idolatry [its wealth becoming the "source" of both], leading to its downfall.

Babylon's wealth, power, and strategic location gave it a false sense of security. We must not place our trust in material wealth or worldly power, as they are temporary [by nature, and are given by God specifically to be used to build His eternal Kingdom] and can be swiftly taken away [if abused through selfish use, hoarding, and oppression]... Scripture warns that material riches, [when gained & utilized] apart from righteousness, invite divine reckoning.

Unchecked pride and dependence on material strength guarantee certain judgment. Confidence belongs not to earthly resources but to the Lord, whose Word unfailingly comes to pass.

"the thread of your life is cut" = the sudden and irreversible nature of Babylon's demise... emphasizing the finality of divine judgment.
The metaphor of a "thread" being cut is reminiscent of the fragility of life and the [direct, intimate, precise, purposeful] sovereignty of God over [even the most minute] human affairs.
The image recalls a weaver’s thread suddenly severed—final, irrevocable, and beyond human repair. When God cuts the thread, no army, alliance, or economy can splice it back together. The lesson extends to every nation and individual living in presumed security... God sets a definite limit on empire and individual alike... every power opposing God has an appointed termination date.
Babylon’s strategic setting, immense wealth, and apparent invincibility could not avert the divinely appointed moment when her life-thread would be severed.

The verse assures believers of God’s sovereignty over geography, economy, and history.

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https://biblehub.com/commentaries/jeremiah/51-13.htm

we may translate "the measure of thy portion", the allotted time of prosperity decreed in the Divine counsels... God has set bounds to thy covetousness, which it shall not pass over: thou shalt no more increase in wealth, but an end shall be put to all thy designs of this sort. 

Many waters do likewise signify mystically the many people over which this was the reigning city: see Revelation 17:15= "The waters over which the prostitute is seated as ruling represent masses of people of every nation and language."

measure—literally, "cubit," which was the most common measure, and therefore is used for a measure in general. The time for putting a limit to thy covetousness [Gesenius]. There is no "and" in the Hebrew: translate, "thine end, the retribution for thy covetousness" [Grotius]. Maurer takes the image to be from weaving: "the cubit where thou art to be cut off"; for the web is cut off, when the required number of cubits is completed/ the destined number is reached... the appointed measure at which thou art to be cut off, at which thy web of existence is to be severed from the loom.

The word by us translated "covetousness" may either signify riches, the object of their covetousness, or prosperity, or that unlawful desire of having more, which is properly called covetousness, either because they should be destroyed utterly, or because they should prosper no more; there was no end put to the Babylonians’ lusts, but there was an end put to the satisfaction of their lusts.

abundant in treasures: of corn, and of the fruits of the earth, and so in condition to hold out a siege, as well as strongly fortified by art and nature, before described; and of gold and silver, the sinews of war, which she had got together, partly by commerce, and partly by the spoil of other nations; and yet neither her situation nor her affluence could secure her from ruin [at God's Hand].

...whereas her covetousness was insatiable, and would have known no bounds, for the enlargement of her dominions, and for the accumulation of more wealth and riches; God set a limit to it, beyond which it should not go; which measure was now filled up, and the time for it expired.

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https://biblehub.com/commentaries/jeremiah/51-20.htm

Thou art my battle ax . . .—Better, my mace. The axe is not found on Assyrian monuments as a weapon of war till a comparatively late period... elsewhere the instrument of God’s vengeance is called a sword, a rod, a scourge.
The "maul/ mace" only differs from the "hammer" in being used for warlike purposes. [Thus] The “hammer of the whole earth” is broken by a mightier weapon than itself... All obstacles are to be crushed in the victorious march of the conqueror... though Babylon had been used by the Lord for the destruction of others, it should not be secure from it itself, but should share the same fate.

The figure is quite inapplicable to Israel, because "Israel is certainly to be delivered through the destruction of Babylon, but is not to be himself the instrument of the destruction".

just as, in prophetic vision, what Babylon does to the nations, and what happens to it, was not separated into two acts, distinct from one another, but appeared as one continuous whole, so also the work of Babylon as the instrument of destruction was not yet finished, but had only begun, and still continuing, was partly future, like the retribution which it was to receive for its offence against Zion; just as in Jeremiah 51:13 Babylon is viewed as then still in the active exercise of its power; and the purpose for which God employs it, as well as the fate that is to befall it, is presented together in something like this manner: "O Babylon, who art my hammer with which I break peoples and kingdoms in pieces, thee will I requite!"

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https://biblehub.com/commentaries/jeremiah/51-25.htm

O destroying mountain.—Singularly enough the phrase is the same as that which is applied in 2Kings 23:13 to the Mount of Olives, and is there rendered by the Authorised version as “the Mount of Corruption.” It adds to the interest that this name so given appears in the reign of Josiah, and must therefore have been familiar to Jeremiah. There it is applied to the Mount of Olives as having been the centre of the worship of Ashtoreth and Chemosh and Milcom, destroying the faith and life of Israel. Here, not without the thought that the false worship of Babylon was the root of all its evils, the prophet applies it to that city... it was the seat of idolatry; which was derived from thence into other countries under its government and jurisdiction. 

[The same title] is applied in 2 Kings 23:13 to the Mount of Olives... on which Solomon had erected idolatrous altars for his foreign wives; the name refers to the pernicious influence thereby exercised on the religious life of Israel. In this verse, "destruction" is used in a comprehensive sense of the physical and moral ruin which Babylon brought on the nations.

The use of the term “mountain,” literally quite inapplicable, was symbolical of its sovereignty... its superiority and eminence above all other places; and perhaps also on account of its lofty walls, palaces, and other edifices.

And will make thee a burnt mountain.—Literally, a mountain of burning—either actively, as rolling down its lava and stones to the destruction of all below; or passively, as spent and burnt out. As the sentence describes the doom of Babylon, the latter meaning seems preferable. It is interesting to note the fact that there is an extinct volcano... in Western Assyria... Possibly the prophet, who had journeyed to the Euphrates, had seen in this the symbol of the “destroying mountain” that destroyed itself. Babylon was for him an extinct volcano.

I will roll thee down from the rocks — That is, from thy strongholds. I will dismantle all thy walls and forts, and then set thee on fire, so that thou shalt appear like a great mountain burning. “Earthquakes were frequent in Palestine, and the sacred writers have embellished their writings with repeated allusions to this terrible phenomenon. The prophet here compares a powerful nation, doomed to destruction, to a ruinous mountain, or rather a volcano, which would soon be consumed, and involve other mountains in its ruins.” 

O destroying mountain - A volcano which by its flames and hot lava-streams "destroys the whole land." ...
A burnt mountain - A burned-out mountain, of which the crater alone remains. Such was Babylon. Its destructive energy under Nebuchadnezzar was like the first outbreak of volcanic fires; its rapid collapse under his successors was as the same volcano when its flames have burned out, and its crater is falling in upon itself.
"The summit of the mountain is sometimes changed into the very position occupied by the crater."

A volcano, which, after having spent itself in pouring its "destroying" lava on all the country around, falls into the vacuum and becomes extinct, the surrounding "rocks" alone marking where the crater had been. Such was the appearance of Babylon after its destruction, and as the pumice stones of the volcano are left in their place, being unfit for building, so Babylon should never rise from its ruins.

They had destroyed many people of the earth that lay near to them. God threatens to destroy them notwithstanding their towers and great fortifications, as many times they threw down malefactors from high rocks, mountains, and precipices; and to make them like Ætna or Vesuvius... reduced to cinders and ashes by the conflagration of [itself]... as a consequence of this, its stones shall be unsuitable for the purposes of the builder

...the prophet has before his mind a volcano in active eruption, "for no other kind of mountains could devastate countries; it is just volcanoes which have been hollowed out by fire that fall in, or... tumble down into the valley below, scattering their constituent elements here and there; the stones of such mountains, too, are commonly so much broken and burnt, that they are of no use for building"

By the eruption, a mountain is not loosened from the rock on which it rests, and hurled down into the valleys round about; it is only the heart of the mountain, or the rocks on which its summit rests, that seem to be vomited out of it.

...like some other mountains of sulphur [which is what RAINED ON SODOM], or other bituminous matter fired [bitumen was used in the TOWER OF BABEL, and pits of it were near SODOM, in the DEAD SEA, which their kings fell into??], which are always burning [eternal hellfire]

...we never read of the burning of literal Babylon, but we do of mystical Babylon.

The laying waste & ruining of the countries is NOT ascribed TO the fire that issues from the mountain of Babylon, [because] the mountain begins to burn only after it has been rolled down from the rocks on which it rests [and both actions are God's judgments upon it]. Babylon, as a kingdom and city, is called a mountain, because it mightily surpassed and held sway over [other nations]. It brings ruin on the whole earth by subjugation of the nations and devastation of the countries. The mountain rests on rocks, i.e., its power has a foundation as firm as a rock, until the Lord rolls it down from its height, and HE burns the strong mountain, making it like an extinct volcano, the stones of which, having been rendered vitreous by the fire, no longer furnish material that can be employed for the foundation of new buildings... The burning of the mountain signifies not merely that Babylon was to be burned to ashes, but that her sway over the world was to be quite at an end; this was only to come about when the city was burnt. When no stone of any value for a new building is to be left after this conflagration, this is equivalent to saying that nothing will be left of the empire that has been destroyed, which would be of any use in the foundation of another state. 

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https://biblehub.com/jeremiah/51-25.htm

Babylon, at the height of its power & influence, was seen as a formidable force that dominated the ancient Near East... Babylon is pictured as a lofty, imposing “mountain” that has crushed kingdoms under its weight.
Its height speaks of [the immensity of its] pride. Its destructive record highlights why God must act... The imagery of a mountain suggests stability, power, and strength, yet this one is known for [perverting those gifts in its pride, turning them from blessings into curses, using them in ways that caused the] destruction [of others, for its own profit], and so God declares His opposition...
God Himself steps onto the stage as Babylon’s personal adversary. When the LORD says, “I am against you,” the matter is settled.
...any force opposing God’s purposes ultimately finds God Himself [invincibly] opposing it in return.
The contrast is striking: the kingdom that thought itself immovable [as an "everlasting mountain"] will soon be dislodged [by the Rock of Ages].

Babylon's conquests and military campaigns had far-reaching impacts, leading to widespread destruction and subjugation of various peoples. Historically, Babylon was known for its military prowess and its role in the exile of the Jewish people.
"you who devastate the whole earth" underscores the extent of Babylon's influence and the resulting devastation, aligning with the biblical theme of divine retribution against oppressive powers... judgment against Babylon is not merely a human prediction but a divine decree, ensuring its fulfillment.

Economic domination: foreshadowing the commercial “Babylon the Great” in Revelation 18:17.
Moral corruption: its idolatry [magic & astrology included!] spread [through vehicles of commerce and conquest] far beyond its borders [like a plague, infecting everyone that she touched].

The imagery of God stretching out His hand signifies direct intervention and judgment.
The same hand that redeemed Israel from Egypt now moves in similar judgment.
God acts directly— no accident of history.
The promise safeguards His people: His Hand is never too short to save OR to judge.
God's sovereignty guarantees both the downfall of proud empires and the ultimate vindication of His people.

"I will roll you over the cliffs" suggests a complete and catastrophic downfall... the sudden and irreversible nature of Babylon's destruction. It reflects the biblical theme of divine retribution where the proud and powerful are brought low... Babylon's fall will be as dramatic as its rise.
The Cliffs are A metaphor for Babylon's seemingly impregnable strength and high position, which God promises to bring down.
Picture a massive boulder pushed from a summit— unstoppable once it starts. Babylon’s fall would be sudden and irreversible; The city’s famed walls and temples could not halt the slide. Humiliation replaces exaltation: what was lifted high is hurled down.

The transformation into a "charred mountain" symbolizes total desolation and ruin. Fire is often associated with judgment and purification in the Bible... Babylon will be left in a state of utter destruction, no longer a source of power or influence. It serves as a warning to other nations about the consequences of pride,  rebellion against God, and the destruction of others. God opposes those who exalt themselves and harm His creation.

God’s case against Babylon: He stands opposed, names its destructive character, announces universal accountability, raises His Hand in judgment, promises a catastrophic overthrow, and seals its end in fiery desolation.

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https://biblehub.com/jeremiah/51-26.htm
+
https://biblehub.com/q/Meaning_of_no_cornerstone_for_Babylon.htm

In ancient construction, the cornerstone and foundation stone were critical for the stability and integrity of a building... representing strength, stability, and the beginning of a building.
A cornerstone or foundation stone was the basis for new building or restoration; a symbol of unity & endurance, lasting construction and continued significance.
The Lord says none will ever be taken from Babylon— Their absence signifies total destruction and permanent desolation, pointing to a future of utter, irreversible ruin... To be denied these stones is to be denied any meaningful future or restoration. Babylon will never be rebuilt or restored... Unlike cities that rise again after conquest, Babylon’s site will never host a restored capital or kingdom. All that is left is Unusable debris: its “stones” are so judged that no builder will even consider them.

This is not mere military defeat; it is God’s decisive, covenantal judgment.
The prophecy that Babylon will [specifically] "become desolate forever" highlights the enduring nature of God's word and His sovereign plans.
Her fate stands as an eternal warning– a perpetual testimony to the futility of prideful opposition to the Lord.

No legacy: With no cornerstone extracted, Babylon leaves nothing worth re-using, no cultural or spiritual contribution welcomed by the world.

In short, “no stone for a cornerstone” seals Babylon’s future: everlasting desolation, zero hope of restoration, and an enduring symbol of divine judgment against rebellious human empires.

Babylon's fall illustrates the danger of pride and self-reliance. Nations and individuals must recognize their dependence on God.
Where Babylon has no cornerstone [due to spiritual bankruptcy; despite all her worldly opulence, power, and fortifications, she is ultimately as fragile as a house of cards], Christ supplies the only trustworthy one for His people. [Therefore], in contrast to Babylon's destruction, believers are called to build their lives on the true cornerstone, Jesus Christ, ensuring a foundation that will not and cannot be shaken.

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https://biblehub.com/commentaries/jeremiah/51-19.htm

15-19. Repeated from Jer 10:12-16; except that "Israel" is not in the Hebrew of Jer 51:19, which ought, therefore, to be translated, "He is the Former of all things, and (therefore) of the rod of His inheritance" (that is, of the nation peculiarly His own).
In Jer 10:1-25 the contrast is between the idols and God; here it is between the power of populous Babylon and that of God: "Thou dwellest upon many waters"; but God can, by merely "uttering His voice," create "many waters". The "earth" (in its material aspect) is the result of His "power"; the "world" (viewed in its orderly system) is the result of His "wisdom," &c. Such an Almighty Being can be at no loss for resources to effect His purpose against Babylon.

We had these five verses all in Jeremiah 10:12-16. See there the explication of the several passages in them; the scope of which is only to convince those to whom the prophet spoke, that notwithstanding all the power, and riches, and greatness, and alliances of the Chaldeans, yet that God who had threatened this ruin to them was able to bring it upon them, and all their idols were vanities, things of nought, that should not be able to protect them, and from whose power or impotency they must not measure nor make up a judgment of what [the REAL] God was able to do; for Israel’s God was that God who made the world, and the Lord of all the armies of the creatures, whether in heaven or earth.

That is, the true God of Israel is not like these idols: for He CAN help when all things are desperate.

With the major exception discussed in the translator’s note on the preceding line, vv. 15-19 are a verbatim repetition of 10:12-16, with a few minor variations in spelling... the addressees are different and the function of this hymnic piece is slightly different. Here it makes good sense to understand that the Lord is being called the creator of the special tribe of people he claims as his own property... [In chapter 10,] the passage was at the end of a section in which the Lord was addressing the Judeans and trying to convince them that the worship of idols was vain— the idols were impotent, but he is all powerful. Here the passage follows a solemn oath by the Lord who rules over all and is apparently directed to the Babylonians, emphasizing the power of the Lord to carry out his oath.



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Bible study lately has been HITTING HARD with System relevance. Go back & copy-paste + build on recent bits.

Today links = EXPLICIT TAR & PLAGUE RELEVANCE
https://biblehub.com/topical/b/bitumen-pits.htm
(https://biblehub.com/genesis/14-3.htm) + LINKS
(https://biblehub.com/q/what's_the_dead_sea's_biblical_role.htm)
(https://biblehub.com/topical/t/the_salt_sea.htm)
(https://biblehub.com/genesis/14-10.htm)
(https://biblehub.com/topical/t/tar_pits.htm)
(https://biblehub.com/q/Lessons_from_tar_pits_in_Genesis_14_10.htm)

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https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/glorifying-the-demonic-during-halloween-could-lead-to-possession-exorcist-warns/

(Just found this article in our inbox and it immediately reminded us of Halloween in CNC, which we still haven't recovered from, sadly. We need to man up & type about it, especially now in light of this article?)

Father Robert Joel Cruz, an exorcist priest, warned that glorifying the demonic during Halloween [especially by] dressing up as the devil [is] far from being “harmless,” [because it actually] is a way of glorifying Satan that can open the door to possession. “It’s an indirect permission, an opening to say, ‘I don’t believe in you, but I am glorifying you.’ It is, so to speak, 'worship'... putting on costume, putting on the horns” is a “form of ritual.” “Can people be possessed through that? Yes,” Fr. Cruz said. He was not referring to all forms of costume, as he later noted, but at the very least to dark, demonic dress. “I know of many cases in the world of people who get possessed by doing just that,” he continued, adding that he also knows of “cases of mass possession because of the celebration of Halloween.”
He said such celebration can be especially dangerous when one is not receiving the Sacraments, confession and the Eucharist. “You cannot be glorifying God when you have horns.”


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Father, you deserve the lasting song of praise you formed upon the lips of men, by opening your boundless love to us through the mystery of your Son. Grant that the eucharistic gathering everywhere, by which the Church celebrates the Easter wedding feast, may always renew the song which we will sing to your glory in heaven.


Naked I came from my mother’s womb, naked I shall return. The Lord gave, the Lord has taken back. Blessed be the name of the Lord! If we take happiness from God’s hand, must we not take sorrow too?

Bend my heart to your will, O God.
By your word, give me life.
Because of your love give me life,
and I will do your will.

Lord Jesus, you loved us and gave yourself for us.
You have given us life and light this morning:
    let us give thanks for such great gifts.
You are sole master of the future:
    keep us from despair and the fear of what is to come.
Love has no ambition to seek anything for itself:
    strengthen our will to give up selfishness today.
May your love in us overcome all things:
    let there be no limit to our faith, our hope, and our endurance.
Lord Jesus, you loved us and gave yourself for us.


Paul has described the process of salvation, won for us by Christ’s loving obedience to his Father. Now he gives his instructions how we should live as Christians; he merely slips into the basic command of Judaism: love your neighbour as yourself. Each of these negative commandments he mentions contains a clutch of positive values. If I really love and bond with my spouse, it will never come to adultery. ‘You shall not kill’ implies also the values of furthering life in all the ways we can. ‘You shall not steal’ involves also the respect for the property and well-being of others. The only debt I owe to anyone is love. It is easy to kid ourselves that we are practising love, when in fact it is self-interest, self-justification. It is easy enough to be loving to our friends (most of the time!), but that is not what Paul means. In his earlier letter to the Corinthians he gave us that searching test for true love, ‘Love is always patient, never jealous, not boastful or conceited, never rude, never seeks its own advantage,’ and so on. I can’t look many of those qualities in the face without some embarrassment.


Jesus does not pull his punches, and here delivers a series of devastating body-blows to anyone who is looking for easy discipleship. All through this journey up to Jesus’ own death at Jerusalem the cost of discipleship has been a recurrent theme: ‘Let the dead bury their dead’, the Parable of the Rich Fool, ‘From one to whom much has been entrusted, even more will be demanded’, ‘Father against son, son against father’, and now ‘Hate father and mother’ and ‘Give up all your possessions’. A certain amount of the vigour of these demands may be attributed to a Semitic mode of expression, ease of superlatives and lack of comparatives, but there is no doubt about the absolute demands made on the disciple. When Jesus made these demands he knew what lay ahead of him, and was only asking his disciples to follow his own course. We must count the cost before beginning to build the tower. Most of us have, of course, already started to build the tower. There is no turning back from the plough, only prayer for a courage and loyalty which exceed our own powers.