Wednesday, January
18, 2017
Yesterday I wrote about St.
Antony of Egypt and how he was besieged by demons during his time alone in the
desert, and how the demons disguised themselves as gruesome beasts or alluring
images. I suggested that we might view our own personal “demons” or temptations
in the same way.
Shortly after I wrote and posted
that reflection it was time for Noon Prayer here in the monastery. I opened to
the first psalm of the day, psalm 7, and the first stanza sounded like it had
come from St. Antony’s cave, or from the heart of anyone besieged by
temptations and trouble. Here it is:
O Lord, my God, I take refuge in you.
Save and rescue me from all my pursuers,
lest they tear me apart like a lion,
and drag me off with no one to rescue me.*
There are other passages in the
psalms where the enemies of our souls are described as ravenous beasts. Psalm
22 is filled with such imagery. This is the psalm that scholars say Jesus
prayed while he was hanging on the cross, and so the psalm represents His
prayer during His agony. It can also be a metaphor for the lesser agonies that
we suffer in our lives, and can remind us to unite our own sufferings to His.
Many bulls have surrounded me,
fierce bulls of Bashan close me in.
Against me they open wide their mouths,
like a lion,
rending and roaring. (Ps 22:13-14)
For dogs have surrounded me;
a band of the wicked besets me.
They tear holes in my hands and my feet. (Ps
22:17)
Rescue my soul from the sword,
my life from the grip of the dog.
Save my life from the jaws of the lion,
my poor soul from the horns of wild bulls. (Ps
22:21-22)
It is important to remember that
while Jesus was suffering these torments, He was on His way to a destiny that
involves his ultimate triumph over these beasts in the Resurrection. And it is
also comforting to note that elsewhere in the psalms, cries of lament and
misery are always answered by the saving help of the Lord. Ultimately, he
does not leave us alone in our misery. His love always prevails over what
besieges us. Thanks be to God!
God bless you!
*All the psalm verses quoted
today are from the Revised Grail Psalm Translation, © 2010 Conception Abbey/The
Grail.
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