let the many coasts and islands be glad.
2 Clouds and thick darkness surround him;
righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne.
5 The mountains melt like wax at the presence of Adonai,
at the presence of the Lord of all the earth.
6 The heavens declare his righteousness,
and all the peoples see his glory.
10 You who love Adonai, hate evil!
He keeps his faithful servants safe.
He rescues them from the power of the wicked.
11 Light is sown for the righteous
and joy for the upright in heart.
12 Rejoice in Adonai, you righteous;
and give thanks on recalling his holiness.
Saint Augustine, Bishop and Doctor of the Church (Memorial)Light dawns for the just; and gladness, for the upright of heart. (Psalm 97:11)
The psalms are full of promises of reward for the just and punishment for the wicked. The Lord “secures justice for the oppressed” (Psalm 146:7), but he will take away the strength of the wicked (Psalm 37). But why is it that we sometimes see suffering come to the most saintly people we know, while some of those who ignore God’s ways seem to prosper? Most disturbing, why is it that the whole history of the Church shows faithful Christians being brutally persecuted, tortured, and killed. Why doesn’t the Lord “secure justice” for them?
Many centuries ago, St. Augustine used today’s Psalm to help explain this conundrum. The light that dawns for everyone—the sun—shows us only physical reality. But in the eyes of the just, there is a different light: Jesus, the eternal Son. For those who place their faith in him, an inner light shines on the sufferings of this world and reveals a deeper reality: God is King of all creation, and he offers eternal life to his people.
Whether it is at the hands of the Roman Empire, the Soviet Union, or the so-called Islamic State, Christians persecuted for their faith have found their faith to be a source of deep comfort and strength. Augustine goes so far as to talk of the persecuted faithful “preaching Christ amid their torments” and finding “joy in the iron-chair,” a cruel instrument of torture. And the good news is that the power of God that brings profound freedom to the imprisoned and happiness to the oppressed is still alive and active today!
Of course, tragedy and injustice continue, as we witness in painful stories like that of the twenty-one Egyptian Christians who were martyred this past February. But we should never lose sight of our hope in the Lord. As well as continuing to pray for peace, we need to pray for everyone undergoing persecution right now. As we do, let’s also lift up the times when we suffer misunderstanding or prejudice for our faith. May Christ’s light dawn on his people everywhere, revealing all of these situations as opportunities for his victory to be manifested in our lives!
“Father, show mercy to your people, whether by sparing their suffering or by strengthening them to endure it in the light of faith.” Amen!
1 Thessalonians 4:1 Therefore, brothers, just as you learned from us how you had to live in order to please God, and just as you are living this way now, we ask you — indeed, united with the Lord Yeshua, we urge you — to keep doing so more and more. 2 For you know what instructions we gave you on the authority of the Lord Yeshua. 3 What God wants is that you be holy, that you keep away from sexual immorality, 4 that each of you know how to manage his sexual impulses in a holy and honorable manner, 5 without giving in to lustful desires, like the pagans who don’t know God. 6 No one should wrong his brother in this matter or take advantage of him, because the Lord punishes all who do such things — as we have explained to you before at length. 7 For God did not call us to live an unclean life but a holy one. 8 Therefore, whoever rejects this teaching is rejecting not a man but God, indeed, the One who gives you the Ruach HaKodesh, which is his.
Matthew 25:1 “The Kingdom of Heaven at that time will be like ten bridesmaids who took their lamps and went out to meet the groom. 2 Five of them were foolish and five were sensible. 3 The foolish ones took lamps with them but no oil, 4 whereas the others took flasks of oil with their lamps. 5 Now the bridegroom was late, so they all went to sleep. 6 It was the middle of the night when the cry rang out, ‘The bridegroom is here! Go out to meet him!’ 7 The girls all woke up and prepared their lamps for lighting. 8 The foolish ones said to the sensible ones, ‘Give us some of your oil, because our lamps are going out.’ 9 ‘No,’ they replied, ‘there may not be enough for both you and us. Go to the oil dealers and buy some for yourselves.’ 10 But as they were going off to buy, the bridegroom came. Those who were ready went with him to the wedding feast, and the door was shut. 11 Later, the other bridesmaids came. ‘Sir! Sir!’ they cried, ‘Let us in!’ 12 But he answered, ‘Indeed! I tell you, I don’t know you!’ 13 So stay alert, because you know neither the day nor the hour.
____________________________
No comments:
Post a Comment