Wisdom 18:6-9
The night of the passover was known beforehand to our fathers,
that, with sure knowledge of the oaths in which they put their faith,
they might have courage.
Your people awaited the salvation of the just
and the destruction of their foes.
For when you punished our adversaries,
in this you glorified us whom you had summoned.
For in secret the holy children of the good were offering sacrifice
and putting into effect with one accord the divine institution.
Meditatio/Reflection:
I keep coming back to the first sentence and to the ideas of the oaths, faith, and courage. The Passover in Egypt must have been a frightening time. The Egyptians, by the Pharaoh's lead, had stubbornly fought through the previous nine plagues and were about to face yet another. God forewarned the Israelites to complete the Passover sacrifice and meal in order to be spared from the death of the their firstborn sons. This foreknowledge, in conjunction with the oaths, remind me of the promises to Abraham to make his descendants as numerous as the stars, to make him into a great nation. What faithfulness our God has! What confidence we should have in him! What courage should this inspire us to embody!
Yet I often find myself timidly living out my end of the covenant. I fear the loss of the things I'm attached to: my leisure, my security, my comfort, etc. And yet what do I have to fear in light of the glory that awaits me if I but surrender those things which, in the end, can never fulfill me or provide for my happiness? How can I enter more deeply into the mystery of God and allow him to bring rest to my restless heart? Have faith in the oaths of God and have courage. In the words of St. John Paul II: "Be not afraid!"
Oratio/Thanksgiving:
Thank you, Lord, for your enduring faithfulness and your constant compassion, especially in light of my weakness and timidity.
Oratio/Prayer Intentions:
Help me to see your provision and companionship in times when I find myself afraid. Help me to model to my children a trust in your love and goodness which will not betray or prove unworthy.
Mr. Crane's Song of the Day:
Mumford and Sons: Sigh No More
Saint Quote of the Day:
"You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they rest in you."
- St. Augustine
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