The
souls of the just are in the hand of God, and no torment shall touch them.
Chastised a little, they shall be greatly blessed, because God tried them and
found them worthy of himself. As gold in the furnace, he proved them, and as
sacrificial offerings he took them to himself.
(Wisdom 3:1,5-6)
Hope
does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out into our
hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us. (Romans
5:5)
“For
this is the will of my Father, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in
him may have eternal life, and I shall raise him on the last day.”
(John 6:40)
Piety
The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. In
verdant pastures he gives me repose; beside restful waters he leads me; he
refreshes my soul. Only goodness and kindness follow me all the days of my
life; and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD for years to come. (Psalm
23:1-2,6)
Study
In death, we are finally freed of our
burdens. There is nothing we want any
longer. On this All Souls Day, we
remember those who have gone from this life…especially those who have passed
this year. Bill Downes. Joseph DeCristofaro. Helen Landi.
Carlos Otal. Art De Los
Santos. They were tested in life daily
through sickness of themselves and those they loved. In health. God tried them and found them
worthy.
Action
We are surrounded by forces wanting us to
want things. Amazon. eBay.
iTunes. Advertisements flooding
television and newspapers and magazines.
On the side of buses. On the gas
pump. In the bathroom.
Experts estimate that we see 3,000 to 20,000
marketing and advertising messages per day. Those higher numbers include every
time you pass by a label in a grocery store, all the ads in your mailbox
whether you see them or not, the label on everything you wear.[i] These test our strength for Psalm 23
every hour. Do you have a strong life in
piety, study and action to resist?
How else have you been tested lately? With illness?
With unemployment? With money
problems? With failed relationships? With the death of a loved one? As gold
in the furnace, how is God purifying you?
[i] http://www.fluiddrivemedia.com/advertising/marketing-messages/
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