Friday of the Fifth Week of Lent
But the LORD is with me, like a mighty champion:
my persecutors will stumble, they will not triumph.
Sing to the LORD,
praise the LORD,
For he has rescued the life of the poor
from the power of the wicked! Jeremiah 20:11
If I do not perform my Father’s works, do not believe me;
but if I perform them, even if you do not believe me,
believe the works, so that you may realize and understand
that the Father is in me and I am in the Father. John 10:37-38
In our Orange Alert-induced stress, we turn to you, Oh Lord, with the audacity of our hopes and dreams. Despite the turmoil that surrounds our lives – disasters from the Sudan to Zimbabwe, from hurricane-scarred New Orleans to the South Indian Ocean still drying out and rebuilding, to the silent tsunami of hunger and malnutrition that kill tens of thousands of children every day – we know that you will be there with the gift of your presence when we turn to you, Lord.
In our distress, we know we can call upon you and you will be there. At the right hand of the Father, we know you will hear our voice. As our cries reach your ears, come back to be with us in our hour of need so that we will have the strength to be with you when you face – alone – the most intensely passionate, personal hours of your love-life for us your sisters and brothers on earth. Amen.
Studyhttp://www.usccb.org/nab/033007.shtml
The NAB notes teach us that deception, sorrow and terror have brought the prophet Jeremiah close to the point of despair; nevertheless he has expressed his utmost confidence in the triumph of God's will to help those who need it the most from those who have power in this world.
We still hear these echoes today, “Terror on every side.” And these may bring us to the same point of despair. Last weekend, the Washington Post included an opinion article by former National Security Advisor Zbigniew Brzezinski about how the War on Terror has affected society. He writes that, “The culture of fear is like a genie that has been let out of its bottle. It acquires a life of its own -- and can become demoralizing.”
Where then do we turn for hope? In what do we believe? Where do we turn if we know the truth and the truth shall get you stoned or jailed or interrogated by authorities?
We can turn to the same source that provided solace for Jeremiah and the Psalmist. The Lord is with us like a mighty champion and advocate on our behalf. Sing to the Lord and praise the Lord for the Lord will rescue the poor from the wicked.
We can believe in the works and signs Jesus performed…the miracles like raising Lazarus from the dead or saving the life of the woman who would be stoned because she was accused of committing adultery. These signs help us to see beyond the humanity of Jesus, beyond the incarnation to the divinity.
Look to the divinity of God today in the works that you perform..works you perform for others like the food or shelter you share with those who are home-less, job-less and hope-less.
As we mark the fifth and final Friday of Lent before the Triduum, make an extra special sacrifice in your fasting and almsgiving heading into Holy Week. As we look to strengthen our relationship with God, let us remember the advice of Benedictine Sr. Joan Chittister…that in order to find God, we need to find and accept responsibility for each other as well.
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