Behold, the eye of the LORD is upon those who fear him, upon those who count on his mercy, to deliver their soul from death, and to keep them alive through famine. (Ps. 33:18-19)
Revelation, Chapter 1,
Verse 17-18
17 When I caught sight of him, I fell down at
his feet as though dead. He touched me with his right hand and
said, “Do not be afraid. I am the
first and the last, 18 the one who lives. Once I was dead, but now
I am alive forever and ever. I hold the keys to death and the netherworld.
All have sinned; all are unjust. Have you ever thought “Now comes the reckoning
for his blood” as Joseph’s brothers did (OT: coat of many colors). Yet, the
Lord has touched us, and it is important
to note that he has touched us with his right hand; signifying power,
forgiveness and authority saying, “Do not be afraid”.
Saint Pope John Paul II
was an example of someone who walked through the valley of the shadow of death
and feared no evil. The Lord’s rod
and staff sustained him through the nightmare of the Nazis and the Communists.
Both were evil empires devoted to the destruction of life, liberty and the
pursuit of happiness for all except for the few selected elite. These empires systematically replaced God
with the rule of the chosen ones of the State. People from both the Fatherland
and the Motherland sat by and watched the evil grow without taking decisive
action, making the adage ‘All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that
good men (or women) do nothing.’
Remember to measure our nation and our politics with Gods Rod (Rods were often used in
ancient times to measure) and not the political States or the media nor the
opinion of the rich and the powerful. Let us be ever ready to speak up for what
is righteous using Gods rod, which are His laws of justice and mercy, working
tirelessly and remember Saint Pope John Paul II words of encouragement, “I
plead with you – never, ever give up on hope, never doubt, never tire, and
never become discouraged. Be
not afraid.”
Let us
also carry with us for the journey the Staff of God which is truth, not worldly
truth but Gods truth. “The word of truth, publicly, indeed almost liturgically,
proclaimed was the antidote the Rhapsodic Theater sought to apply to the
violent lies of the Occupation. The tools for fighting evil included speaking
truth to power.” [1]
Saint Monica[2]
St. Monica is an example of those holy matrons of the ancient Church who proved very influential in their own quiet way. Through prayer and tears she gave the great Augustine to the Church of God, and thereby earned for herself a place of honor in the history of God's kingdom on earth. The Confessions of St. Augustine provide certain biographical details. Born of Christian parents about the year 331 at Tagaste in Africa, Monica was reared under the strict supervision of an elderly nurse who had likewise reared her father. In the course of time she was given in marriage to a pagan named Patricius. Besides other faults, he possessed a very irascible nature; it was in this school of suffering that Monica learned patience. It was her custom to wait until his anger had cooled; only then did she give a kindly remonstrance. Evil-minded servants had prejudiced her mother-in-law against her, but Monica mastered the situation by kindness and sympathy. Her marriage was blessed with three children: Navigius, Perpetua, who later became a nun, and Augustine, her problem child. According to the custom of the day, baptism was not administered to infants soon after birth. It was as an adolescent that Augustine became a catechumen, but possibly through a premonition of his future sinful life, Monica postponed his baptism even when her son desired it during a severe illness. When Augustine was nineteen years old, his father Patricius died; by patience and prayer Monica had obtained the conversion of her husband. The youthful Augustine caused his mother untold worry by indulging in every type of sin and dissipation. As a last resort after all her tears and entreaties had proved fruitless, she forbade him entrance to her home; but after a vision she received him back again. In her sorrow a certain bishop consoled her: "Don't worry, it is impossible that a son of so many tears should be lost." When Augustine was planning his journey to Rome, Monica wished to accompany him. He outwitted her, however, and had already embarked when she arrived at the docks. Later she followed him to Milan, ever growing in her attachment to God. St. Ambrose held her in high esteem, and congratulated Augustine on having such a mother. At Milan she prepared the way for her son's conversion. Finally the moment came when her tears of sorrow changed to tears of joy. Augustine was baptized. And her lifework was completed. She died in her fifty-sixth year, as she was returning to Africa. The description of her death is one of the most beautiful passages in her son's famous Confessions.
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