The expectation of your people was the salvation of the righteous and the destruction of their foes.
With today's gospel the Lord teaches an ethic of patient waiting. It is a life style; a confident, continual awareness that the Lord, in whom we trust and believe, will remember his promises and keep them.
"For," as Saint Paul says of Abraham, " he thought that the one who had made the promise was trustworthy."
I read the phrase above, from the Book of Wisdom, in two ways:
- we expect the salvation of the righteous and the destruction of their foes; and
- the expectation is itself a kind of salvation of God's holy ones.
That expectation, which we keep always before us -- as a fiance keeps the promise of marriage; or an heir, the promise of future wealth -- sustains us through the many challenges of our life. Without it we could not make the necessary sacrifices. We might cash in our chips too soon; withdraw an IRA prematurely; or, like Esau, sell our birthright for a bowl of pottage. This promise comes to us and animates us in the person of the Holy Spirit. Saint Paul three times speaks of the Holy Spirit as the down payment, or "first installment," of God's promise:
- he has also put his seal upon us and given the Spirit in our hearts as a first installment.
- Now the one who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who has given us the Spirit as a first installment.
- In him you also, who have heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and have believed in him, were sealed with the promised holy Spirit, which is the first installment of our inheritance toward redemption as God’s possession, to the praise of his glory.
A fourth time, the Apostle says, "...we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, we also groan within ourselves as we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies. For in hope we were saved."
The Holy Spirit sets the Christian apart from others. This is not simply a Pollyanna expectation that everything will come out roses. It certainly does not deny or ignore the very real challenges, setbacks, and disappointments of ordinary life. Nor does it ignore the innumerable scandals which afflict the Church from every direction. This is not a grim determination to white-knuckle one's way through. It is never my-way-or-the-highway. Nor is it afraid to grieve when sadness is upon us.
Life in the Holy Spirit is not about me. It is an ability to rise like the phoenix out of the ashes of disappointment and resume the life of prayer, generosity, and hope.
Without the Holy Spirit, we expect nothing; life has no meaning; and suicide is not merely an option. It is the only choice. Which is where we find many of our contemporaries.
Psalm 91 describes our life in the Spirit,
Though a thousand fall at your side,
ten thousand at your right hand,
near you it shall not come....
Because you have the LORD for your refuge
and have made the Most High your stronghold
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I love to write. This blog helps me to meditate on the Word of God, and I hope to make some contribution to our contemplations of God's Mighty Works.
Ordinarily, I write these reflections two or three weeks in advance of their publication. I do not intend to comment on current events.
I understand many people prefer gender-neutral references to "God." I don't disagree with them but find that language impersonal, unappealing and tasteless. When I refer to "God" I think of the One whom Jesus called "Abba" and "Father", and I would not attempt to improve on Jesus' language.
You're welcome to add a thought or raise a question.