Facing Ridicule And Persecution In Trust (March 29)

The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? Wait for the Lord;be strong, and let your heart take courage, wait for the Lord. Psalm 27:1, 14

In a world so full of social and political turmoil and immense human suffering, people of faith will often be ridiculed because of their so-called ineffectiveness. Many will say, "If you believe that there is a loving God, let your God do something about this mess!" Others will simple declare religion irrelevant, while others will consider it as an obstacle to the creation of a new and better world.

Jesus tells this followers that, as he was, they will be persecuted, arrested, tortured, and killed. But he also tells us not to worry but to trust in him at all times ... Let's not be afraid of the skepticism and cynicism coming our way, but trust that God will give us the strength to hold our ground.

Lord, help me to be courageous in living my faith -- and in defending it when I am called to do so.

And from Thomas Merton ...

Merton's Voice: The life of contemplation implies two levels of awareness: first, awareness of the question, and second, awareness of the answer. Though these are two distinct and enormously different levels, yet they are in fact an awareness of the same thing. The question is, itself, the answer. And we ourselves are both.

Thomas Merton. New Seeds of Contemplation. (New York: New Directions Books). p. 4

Thought for the Day: And all is summed up in one awareness - not a proposition, but an experience: "I AM."

New Seeds of Contemplation: p. 4