“We
should glory in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, for he is our salvation,
our life and our resurrection; through him we are saved and made free.” (Gal
6:14)
Prayer
for the Day
Help us, Lord, to be so united with the paschal mystery of Jesus,
that through Him the world can become a better place to dwell. You promise us much for this life and for our
eternal presence with You; may we live into that promise each day. Amen.
Reflection
“With their
patience worn out by the journey, the people complained against God and Moses.”
(Numbers 21:4b-9) I can relate to this.
The life of faith often seems like a long trip in the desert. At times it can seem to bring very little
reward, and in the midst of the struggle, the memory of slavery in “Egypt” can
seem more attractive than God’s promise of freedom. All who walk the path of discipleship will
pass through this desert. Indeed, the
experience of wandering in a desert bereft of God’s presence is so common in
the Christian life that our tradition has a name for it. The desert fathers called it the “noon-day
demon.” The demon was not so much a little devil with horns as it was a
description of the powerful temptation to leave the path to holiness. The temptation can take many forms, and if we
yield to it, we risk becoming bitter and alienated from God. How odd it is that following God can lead to
bitterness and alienation, but it can.
The only
real response to the noon-day demon is prayer and patience. We must focus our gaze upon Jesus and what He
has done. We need to remember the cross
and the resurrection and resist becoming dulled to its power and promise.
The words of
St. Paul to the Philippians (Philippians 2:6-11) and of Jesus to Nicodemus (John
3:13-17) are also meant for us today. They tell us that God loves us all. That
includes those who are suffering. In spite of what other people do to add to
their suffering, God loves them. And because God loves them, there is hope.
Suffering people who believe in God and appreciate His love have the great hope
of salvation. Human suffering is just that, it is human or finite. Human
suffering will come to an end as our lives here on earth come to an end. But
God’s bright promise of eternal life is for all who believe in Him. That
includes those who are suffering. Today as we work to relieve the suffering of
those around us, let us also thank God for His love for all of us.
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