Whatever happens today, God who is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit is good. He remains God and greatly to be praised.
“Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him.” – Job 13:15
Meanwhile, these two psalms seem appropriate today.
The first, Psalm 73, certainly speaks to the anguish I have felt over the antichrist cult that developed like a tumor in the Body of Christ and my own struggles against it.
The second, Psalm 72, is a prayer for the Messianic King (and for any earthly leader who struggles with his own sins to emulate Him).
Psalm 73
Truly God is good to the upright,
to those who are pure in heart.
But as for me, my feet had almost stumbled,
my steps had well nigh slipped.
For I was envious of the arrogant,
when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.
For they have no pangs;
their bodies are sound and sleek.
They are not in trouble as other men are;
they are not stricken like other men.
Therefore pride is their necklace;
violence covers them as a garment.
Their eyes swell out with fatness,
their hearts overflow with follies.
They scoff and speak with malice;
loftily they threaten oppression.
They set their mouths against the heavens,
and their tongue struts through the earth.
Therefore the people turn and praise them;
and find no fault in them.
And they say, “How can God know?
Is there knowledge in the Most High?”
Behold, these are the wicked;
always at ease, they increase in riches.
All in vain have I kept my heart clean
and washed my hands in innocence.
For all the day long I have been stricken,
and chastened every morning.
If I had said, “I will speak thus,”
I would have been untrue to the generation of thy children.
But when I thought how to understand this,
it seemed to me a wearisome task,
until I went into the sanctuary of God;
then I perceived their end.
Truly thou dost set them in slippery places;
thou dost make them fall to ruin.
How they are destroyed in a moment,
swept away utterly by terrors!
They are like a dream when one awakes,
on awaking you despise their phantoms.
When my soul was embittered,
when I was pricked in heart,
I was stupid and ignorant,
I was like a beast toward thee.
Nevertheless I am continually with thee;
thou dost hold my right hand.
Thou dost guide me with thy counsel,
and afterward thou wilt receive me to glory.
Whom have I in heaven but thee?
And there is nothing upon earth that I desire besides thee.
My flesh and my heart may fail,
but God is the strength[f] of my heart and my portion for ever.
For lo, those who are far from thee shall perish;
thou dost put an end to those who are false to thee.
But for me it is good to be near God;
I have made the Lord God my refuge,
that I may tell of all thy works.
***
Psalm 72
A Psalm of Solomon
Give the king thy justice, O God,
and thy righteousness to the royal son!
May he judge thy people with righteousness,
and thy poor with justice!
Let the mountains bear prosperity for the people,
and the hills, in righteousness!
May he defend the cause of the poor of the people,
give deliverance to the needy,
and crush the oppressor!
5 May he live while the sun endures,
and as long as the moon, throughout all generations!
May he be like rain that falls on the mown grass,
like showers that water the earth!
In his days may righteousness flourish,
and peace abound, till the moon be no more!
May he have dominion from sea to sea,
and from the River to the ends of the earth!
May his foes bow down before him,
and his enemies lick the dust!
May the kings of Tarshish and of the isles
render him tribute,
may the kings of Sheba and Seba bring gifts!
May all kings fall down before him,
all nations serve him!
For he delivers the needy when he calls,
the poor and him who has no helper.
He has pity on the weak and the needy,
and saves the lives of the needy.
From oppression and violence he redeems their life;
and precious is their blood in his sight.
Long may he live,
may gold of Sheba be given to him!
May prayer be made for him continually,
and blessings invoked for him all the day!
May there be abundance of grain in the land;
on the tops of the mountains may it wave;
may its fruit be like Lebanon;
and may men blossom forth from the cities
like the grass of the field!
May his name endure for ever,
his fame continue as long as the sun!
May men bless themselves by him,
all nations call him blessed!
Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel,
who alone does wondrous things.
Blessed be his glorious name for ever;
may his glory fill the whole earth!
Amen and Amen!
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19 Responses
Mercy Now https://youtu.be/VzTvpS-Mxgs
Thanks, Mark. I’ve been really growing in love for the psalms this year, and these two are truly perfect for this moment.
Praying the evening Office for the Dead last night for All Souls, I heard the Dies Irae for the first time. An English translation, chanted by Kathleen Lundquist. Beautiful and challenging. Really demonstrates the arc of fear of God -> repentance -> trust -> love in a way I hadn’t quite grokked before. Between meditating on that image of the Day of Judgment, and looking forward to Christ the King in a few weeks, I’m finding a lot of comfort in remembering the four last things. I keep reminding myself: Whatever it feels like right now, Christ is on the throne.
jj
Here’s my prediction for the evening: in 2016 VA was called at 22:40 ET. I predict this state will be called between 21:00 and 22:00 this year, which means the rust belt will go Biden. When called close to 21:00, GA, NC, OH and Iowa are also in play.
I made my decision this morning to leave the Catholic church. It is not able to form Christian disciples or discern goodness and truth. The church in the US should be taxed out of existence. Reinstituting the RCIA process was it’s death knell.
Um…. wow. I know you’re not becoming an atheist or joining the Satanic Temple or anything, and that your beliefs are probably still Catholic, but um, good for you. I know you’ll probably get some … er … flack from some of your family, immediate or extended, but I hope you and your immediate family stay well and happy and can transition to something you’re all at peace with. Sincerely best wishes, here.
@linda
Even though I am an atheist, I am sorry to hear that you have decided to leave the Catholic Church. I know that your beliefs as a Catholic are important to you. And I know it’s very difficult to give up something that so very, very important to you. Whatever I may feel about it, I know that it hurts you, and that’s the part that I care about.
And its a pity for the church. Because if there is one thing so many churches need, it’s good people.
Hello Linda. Of the many shocks of the past 24 hours your announcement (and hector’s as well) is particularly poignant. I’ve had enough exposure to you over the years to know what a serious Catholic you are and how difficult it must have been to arrive at this decision. It’s a sign of how bad things have gotten in the US Church that some of its most committed have had enough. I hope you find a community that can sustain and inspire you. Take care, Linda!
True to her word, the black cat returns after the elections :p
Linda,
This makes me so sad. Please don’t go, we need you. Please stay.
I’ve been going to the SB Mission lately. We sit on the grass next to a bunch of giant agave plants. It is gorgeous with the mountains to the right, the rose gardens behind, and a view all the way to the Pacific. The priests there would give you hope! Maybe your location is putting a bad lens on things that are already stressful.
Fr. Larry starts his sermons with the poetry he has written. It is so inspired and full of love. The Franciscans here have been really humbled, and it shows.
When we are sitting there with our assortment of available kids, my dog and her puppy, I feel like heaven touches the earth. My kids love it! (not exaggerating, swear.) My son’s protestant girlfriend loves it. If you ever want to come visit, please get my info from Mark. Maybe you just need to switch things up a bit.
There is so much hope for the future. God sent us a good man to be his vicar. Please hang in there a bit longer. Where would you go?
(((hug)))
Anna Lisa
This comment made me smile. I decided years ago that the sclerotic parish system with its dying and often frustrated priests, could no longer be a spiritual home for me. While I myself do not have a monastic vocation, I attend mass in an abbey and enjoy the company of monks.
As for politics. I enjoy the benefits of not constantly having to moralize it. I have but one vote to cast, and I do so, while trying to balance my own interests, those of the state, and those of my faith. I can do without priests telling me how to vote, and I can do without the lay moralizers as well. All of them should pray more often or run for office.
My political opponents are not my enemy, and I do not seek their destruction. While I am not a US citizen, I have never hidden my preference for a Biden victory. I have also never hidden that ultimately, my allegiance does not lie with the left.
As for Linda: may the love of the Lord Jesus Christ bring truth and joy to her heart.
I hope you will reconsider. The US Church is not all there is, and this is a moment where the Church requires disciples of Jesus to help heal the cancer from which the Church here suffers, not abandon the 50% who are still trying hard to be disciples. The global Church needs a healthy US Church, not one abandoned to MAGA freakery. And Christ remains present in the sacraments forever. Please do not give in to despair. You are dear to me.
@ Linda and hector
My new apostolic friend sent this to me this morning. You are not alone.
“Ben…
I’ll miss you guys in Europe… I am considering New Zealand for all the same reasons…
I spoke with a member of our church yesterday who was in tears and dumbfounded… “I need some spiritual counsel,” she cried. “You are only one of 3 in our church who I think does not support Trump. How can Christians possibly support him? How can I maintain friendships with such hypocrites? It’s like Germany in 1938-1939.” She is a German-Croation who is now an American citizen. Her dream of America has been shattered. “This is a tough one, Silvie. I’m struggling with it too. I honestly don’t understand either.”
After chatting for a while we concluded that it is the difference between being spiritually minded, or religious. One can be religious, following all the steps and tenets, but never really understand the spiritual implications of their beliefs and actions. One can be religious, and still bigoted, willingly misinformed, uncaring and unsharing, not grasping the implications of their beliefs and actions.
——————————-
Back to me. I disagree to some extent. I think it is as much about what i call religious megalomania, an over identification with god, and despite— to regard with contempt, distaste, disgust, or disdain; scorn; loathe.
And then, there is always Screwtape. So, being the good atheist that I am, I think I will quote CS Lewis.. As wrong as Lewis so frequently was, he occasionally hit the Nail right on its flat little head.
“HATRED IS BEST COMBINED WITH FEAR. COWARDICE, ALONE OF ALL THE VICES, IS PURELY PAINFUL–HORRIBLE TO ANTICIPATE, HORRIBLE TO FEEL, HORRIBLE TO REMEMBER; HATRED HAS ITS PLEASURES. IT IS THEREFORE OFTEN THE COMPENSATION BY WHICH A FRIGHTENED MAN REIMBURSES HIMSELF FOR THE MISERIES OF FEAR. THE MORE HE FEARS, THE MORE HE WILL HATE.”
Same here. My adult children actually led the way, and now I follow. They just could not reconcile the Church I showed to them, with the real Catholic Church that sucks up to Trump and the GOP.
In 2020, there are no more excuses, with Trump constantly displaying the kind of person and President he is for 4 years, the policy disasters, the tearing down of norms and violations of laws (gleefully enabled by the GOP). No, the US polity is revealing to itself and the world exactly what it is, and each American is revealing exactly who he/she is. Although Trump had repeatedly revealed exactly who he is during the 2016 campaign, some people might still had been able to plead naiveté in voting for “change”, however reckless that choice was.
I many ways this was a foregone outcome, irrespective of the election. The Church has shown its true colors, and we don’t want to be part of it anymore.
Whatever happens today, God who is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit is good. He remains God and greatly to be praised. But we will do that with people who follow Christ, not the Catholic Church.
Will never leave the Body of Christ, just the institutional shell that continues to betray Him daily.
@ hector
What you said is exactly the case. The American people today, even if Biden wins, Have shown who they are in a way that cannot be disputed. That this is as close as it appears to be is disgusting. As I told my best friend today, for the first time, I am seriously giving thought to moving to Europe to be closer to his family. Even if Biden wins, I am ashamed to be an American now.
His family is my husband’s family. Sorry.
Thanks all for listening to my tantrum. So guess where I was this morning. At Mass, because I couldn’t find an EMHC to sub for me. I guess I’m Catholic the way my eyes are brown. Gouging them out won’t change that fact or give me better vision. It’s been fun traveling with you all online. I’m saving my energy for real life going forward. Peace and all good.
To you as well!