Please read the passage before the homily:
The day of the Lord is coming. Sometimes the day of the Lord is beautiful and rewarding. Joel’s use of the term here, however, forebodes hardship and suffering. This day of the Lord comes as ruin from the Almighty. The house of God has no offerings because there is drought and crop failure.
Joel expects darkness and gloom for the people. He calls the people to repentance. Otherwise, foreign troops shall descend upon the land the way national enemies do. Defeat will follow. The only way out is repentance.
We live in a government shutdown. How long it will last, I know not. Is the government shutdown a message from the Lord that we need repentance? Is it not a message that both Democrats and Republicans have to repent? Is it not message that all of us, Catholic, Christian, or other need to repent?
Joel was written for his time. It was re-read and preserved because it spoke to later generations. It is still relevant for us today. If not, can we not expect some form of drought, be it man-made or natural, be it large storms and bad weather systems, be it earthquakes, flooding, or violent winds?