March 15/Fourth Friday of Lent
The LORD confronts the evildoers, to destroy remembrance of them from the earth.
The LORD is close to the brokenhearted; and those who are crushed in spirit he saves. ~ Ps 34.17, 19
Does God really “confront the evildoers”? Or in the concrete Hebrew expression, is “the face of the LORD against” those who wreak havoc in the world? As I go about my daily rounds, I don’t always see this happening. Often, I see the opposite: the people who would sow division, discord, and hate — whether with weapons or with words — seem to be getting the upper hand. We need only look at any day’s headlines to see untold instances of the powerful taking advantage of the weak, the comfortable ignoring the needy, cheaters and liars duping honest souls. To many of us, the wicked seem to be doing just fine. Even the psalmist pauses for a moment at this point in his song, as if he knows that his claims about God’s activity are not altogether convincing. The prospering of those whom we may view as “wicked” or “evil” troubles us, and the suffering of seemingly innocent and good people can challenge our faith. To his credit, the psalmist doesn’t try to explain away the existence of evil. He can’t — none of us can. Instead, he reminds us that whenever and however our hearts are broken by evil, and our spirits crushed by wickedness, God is going to be right there with us. As Cardinal Newman wrote, “We know [God] is in heaven, and forget that He is also on earth.” The arrogant and unjust who reject the Lord’s love will get their comeuppance in due course. But as we wait in hopeful expectation for the unveiling of the mystery of God’s actions in the world — a mystery that will be revealed only in the fullness of time — we can seek and find comfort in God’s exquisite, protecting, ever-present compassion. And share that comfort with others who may need it.
Loving Lord, Be close to me in the painful times of my life and cradle me with your gentle care. Amen.
For today’s readings, click here: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/031524.cfm
To hear Alan Jackson sing “Leaning on the Everlasting Arms,” click here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9PK2apVQNS0
