The Old Testament records that God punishes people, and entire peoples, for disobeying His Commandments.
Catholic Fundamentalists say that another way: The First Programming Log is there to show that The Loving Programmer has written and downloaded The Creation Program. Without His merciful interference, it punishes those human programs who do not follow His Operating Instructions.
The point is the same. We should believe and obey to avoid His wrath. Today’s reading is a case in point:
Responsorial Psalm Ps 79:8, 9, 11 and 13
R. (9) For the glory of Your Name, O Lord, deliver us.
Remember not against us the iniquities of the past;
may Your compassion quickly come to us,
for we are brought very low.
R. For the glory of Your Name, O Lord, deliver us.
Help us, O God our savior,
because of the glory of Your Name;
Deliver us and pardon our sins
for Your Name’s sake.
R. For the glory of Your Name, O Lord, deliver us.
Let the prisoners’ sighing come before You;
with Your great power free those doomed to death.
Then we, your people and the sheep of Your pasture,
will give thanks to You forever;
through all generations we will declare Your praise.
R. For the glory of Your Name, O Lord, deliver us.
All of us have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. If we are sincerely filled with sorrow and regret for our wrongs and ask forgiveness, God will help us.
His help comes from two motivations. When the first, His love for us, does not apply, then we may ask for assistance for His sake, saying with heartfelt anguish, “For the glory of Your Name, O Lord, deliver us.”