Friday of the Fourth Week of Lent

These were their thoughts, but they erred;

for their wickedness blinded them,
and they knew not the hidden counsels of God;
neither did they count on a recompense of holiness
nor discern the innocent souls' reward.

The cynic might well ask, “What are the recompenses of holiness and the rewards of innocent souls?”

First, we have hope. Our future is bright.

Some people have attained everything they wanted. They had the most beautiful wedding. Now what? They were high school quarterbacks who dated the prettiest cheerleaders (or vice versa). Now what? They have piled up fortunes, lived lavishly and been cheered by millions. Now what? For them, the best is behind. Their future was yesterday.

Devout souls don’t live for tomorrow, but they store up treasure in heaven. Practically speaking it’s called delayed gratification. It’s not a bad way to live, especially if we continue to put off the pleasures until the very end.

Secondly, we’re not terribly ashamed of the past. That’s because the Lord has forgiven our past sins, and because we passed on a lot of really stupid opportunities. In fact, we’ve made a habit of it because someone told us, “You’ll never regret what you didn’t say.” More often than not we woke up the next morning without a hangover and thanked God for it.

Thirdly, we retain a certain dignity. There is something emasculating about fornication and adultery. Not only has the lustful person compromised chastity, but her integrity as a woman – and his as a man – has been squandered. Chastity can be regained, or re-received from God – but the penitential road back is long, steep and narrow.

Fourthly, we are still here. The Psalmist of 37 remarks, “I have seen the wicked triumphant like a towering cedar. I passed by again; he was gone; he was nowhere to be found.” Sociologist who work among the poor report on how the courageous children who stay in school and get the grades while their peers are selling dope on the street enjoy their adult years far more than their peers in prison. They suffered insults and abuse as they trudged home from school each day but when the future arrived their old enemies had disappeared. They were nowhere to be found.

The Bible doesn’t say, but it might, “A life well lived is the best revenge.”