As I promised in a previous post, Advancing the Reign of Christ Here and Now, I am today explaining the meaning of “Amen” and why I placed it at the end of the aspiration, “Praised be Jesus Christ.  Now and forever.  Amen.”

Church-going people are used to speaking the word “Amen” at various points in the sacred liturgy and at the end of most all prayers and invocations.  It’s easy for this practice to become rote and the meaning to slip from conscious awareness as our minds wander from our conversation with God.  Who, after all, is capable of perfect attention during prayer and worship? Certainly not I.  At some level, though, we are aware that when we say “Amen” we are affirming something.  Just what, who, and how big is that “something”? When I studied the history and meaning of the word, my eyes were opened to a deeper and more profound participation in the sacred liturgy. My bible reading and personal prayer has been enriched. Perhaps yours will be, too.

We find “Amen” in the Bible for the first time in Num. 5: 12-31 in a very solemn situation conducted in the presence of the Lord, the priest, and a woman and her husband. She who is suspected of adultery by her husband submits to a ceremony in which she drinks water containing dust the priest gathers from the floor of the tabernacle.  The prescribed oath of imprecation is:

…”may the Lord make you an example of malediction and imprecation among your people by causing your thighs to waste away and your belly to swell!  May this water, then, that brings a curse, enter your body to make your belly swell and your thighs waste away!” And the woman shall say, Amen, amen!

“Amen” has become a universal word, imported into numerous languages.  The Hebrew root, aman, means to be morally true or certain, steadfast, permanent, sure, faithful.  It is used interchangeably with ‘aman, which means “to go to the right hand” (Is. 30:21).  And Who is the right hand of God the Father almighty (Ps. 48: 10)?

Whenever we see the word “Amen” in sacred scripture it is used in the sense of affirming truth or absolute certainty as in Is. 65: 16:

…he who takes an oath in the land shall swear by the God of truth ( Amen).

God alone is the “Amen” as in Rev. 3: 14:

And to the angel of the church at Laodicea write: Thus says the Amen, the faithful and true witness, who is the beginning of the creation of God:

Christ, the second Person of the Blessed Trinity is the revelation of the Father, one with the Father, the Amen, and Truth itself by His own words. He tells us plainly in John 14: 6, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.”  He also told us indirectly when He used the Hebrew “Amen” before telling us truths in the Gospel.

One instance of that which stands out in my mind is in John 8.  Jesus was teaching in the temple and had just told the Jews in frustration (vs. 25-27),

They therefore said to Him, “Who art thou?” Jesus said to them, “Why do I speak to you at all!  I have many things to speak and to judge concerning you; but He Who sent Me is true (Amen), and the things that I heard from Him, these I speak in the world.” And they did not understand that he was speaking to them about the Father.

In verses 28-30 we learn that many among the group believed in Him after continuing to listen to Him. However some officials listening did not (probably Scribes and Pharisees) and they began to argue with Him.  The culmination of the confrontation came in verse 58 when Jesus declared,

Amen, amen I say to you, before Abraham came to be, I AM,

at which point the furious leaders took up stones to kill Him and He hid Himself from them and escaped because His time had not yet come.  The “I AM” is a direct reference to Ex. 3: 14 where God told Moses “This is what you shall tell the Israelites: I AM sent you.” It infuriated the officials because they did not believe in Him, nor did they want to. He had declared Himself one with the Father even plainer than in verses 28-30.

Jesus’s use of “Amen, amen I say to you…” marked a striking departure from the usual use of “Amen” in the bible. He must have really caught the attention of His listeners when He said it because most of them knew sacred scripture very well, as boys started in temple classes at age 6.  No one but God would have the right to speak in his own name.  No one but God could preface his statements with “Truth, Truth” which is Himself.

I remember as a child hearing the Gospel read from the pulpit at Mass.  The words “Amen, amen I say to you…” impressed me deeply and to this day I can quote many of the passages I heard.  Instead of leaving the Hebrew as it was, English speaking people attending Mass in English hear ICEL’s very lame, “I solemnly assure you…” translation which not only is goofy and laughable, but does not pass on the meaning of the word and is just one example of many post-Vatican II ways the Faith has been watered down. Now why did I write that? Because today’s children who hear this bad translation are removed yet another step from who Christ is. I hope the “Amens” will be restored in the new translations so they will hear Christ as Person and Truth and listen closer to Him without being distracted by foolishness.  I want for them treasure I was raised with. But I digress…

Praying Hands, c. 1508, Albrecht Dürer (b. 1471, Nürnberg, d. 1528, Nürnberg), Brush drawing on blue primed paper, Graphische Sammlung Albertina, Vienna

By saying “Amen” at the end of prayers, invocations, aspirations, and the many prayers during Holy Mass, we are acknowledging the truth, affirming it, and connecting ourselves to Christ and the will of the Father Who can desire no evil for us but only good.  We are declaring the truth of what we believe before God Himself and in His presence, since God is everywhere.

The aspiration “Praised be Jesus Christ.  Now and forever,” didn’t have an “Amen” attached in the past.  We need that “Amen” today because of the faithless world we live in.  It is a small thing to say but a great strengthener of our faith when we do it thoughtfully. The same is true when we say “Amen” thoughtfully all the other times we pray, formally or informally, at the sacred liturgy or in private.

V.  Praised be Jesus Christ!

R.  Now and forever.  Amen.

(Click on the link above for the original post.)

Last week I wrote no posts due to many factors including sheer exhaustion. Today is the beginning of a new week and, I hope, one where I can get some of the things I put off accomplished.

Last Monday started off with a wasp sting which happened during my asparagus bean daily harvest.  It wasn’t bad and the pain went away quickly when I applied a homeopathic remedy I keep in the medicine chest. The sting reminded me of what every sin does to the soul, and how God’s grace takes away the pain and swelling affecting nearby areas. A single sin is like a wasp sting.  It only takes a minute but it causes trouble in the soul beyond the small entry wound.

Many stings make for a very bumpy and sick soul. The habit of many small sins eventually will kill the soul unless we submit to God’s remedy of repentance and forgiveness. Getting stung made me resolve to be more vigilant in my spiritual life and to avoid situations where I might get stung so that I will have a smooth, clean soul to present to the Father. There’s no avoiding the asparagus beans, though.  Every stinging insect in the area loves them for the nectar from the flowers, but they usually leave me alone. God just wanted to teach me a lesson Monday morning about how sin hurts us, and somebody at that moment needed grace from the discomfort I offered to Him.

Last Tuesday I went to get my teeth cleaned and learned that my bottom front teeth need to be capped, at an exorbitant price I might add.  My husband called the Kansas City Dental College and we made a day trip there on Thursday for a second opinion.  It turns out that if I don’t replace the 32 year old caps on the top and let them re-engineer my bite, capping the bottom two won’t last. So for more than double the cost of two caps, I’ll get six caps and a fix that will last the rest of my life.  We will scramble to find the money somehow and we will have to make several more all-day trips to get it done over the next three months.  The quality and workmanship will be superb, but I wish I didn’t need it done.

On the way home Thursday, warning lights showed up on the dashboard.  Great.  It turns out something is wrong in the brake system and the fix will be around $900. Is it safe to get out of bed yet?  I want to hide under the covers.

Along came the Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost and Jesus had the right words for me in the Gospel of Matthew.  In an exhausting and disappointing week, He gave me the reminder to trust in the Father and not to stress out, even though I am so tired of being so tired and so tired of big bills lately:  Mt. 6: 25-27 and 32-34:

Therefore I say to you, do not be anxious for your life, what you shall eat; nor yet for your body, what you shall put on.  Is not the life a greater thing than the food, and the body than the clothing? Behold the birds of the air: they do not sow, nor reap, or gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them.  Are not you of much more value than they? But which of you by being anxious about it can add to his stature a single cubit?

…for your Father knows that you need all these things.   But seek ye therefore first the kingdom of God and His justice, and all these things shall be added unto you.

These words renewed my spirit and could not have been more timely. My desire for the rest of my life is to detach from the world and trust in God while suffering with joy. Have you noticed that whenever you ask God to help you acquire a virtue He sets up ways to give you plenty of practice?

V. Praised be Jesus Christ.*

R. Now and forever.  Amen.

*click on the link to read why I’m ending all my posts with this.

Welcome to Sunday Snippets where we Catholic bloggers meet over at RAnn’s This That and the Other Thing to share posts from the past week. Please join us even if you’re not a blogger, and leave a comment on our posts if you are so moved.

This week I met a special young lady at the therapy pool.  I wrote about it at A Real God-incidence.

In Advancing the Reign of Christ Here and Now I put forth the rationale for a change I’m making on my posts.

At Sabbath Moments I note my times of union with God this past week, and at Praying the Psalms – Psalm 32 I wrote insights I gained from meditating on the psalm.

God bless all you readers and thanks for coming to my blog.

V.  Praised be Jesus Christ.

R.  Now and forever.  Amen.

(Click on the above link for why I am ending my posts this way if you haven’t already read why.)

P.S.  Today is the 13th Sunday after Pentecost and the feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary in the 1962 Roman Calendar. Salve Regina.

For some time now I’ve been moved to start something at this blog, regardless of the subject of the post.  It has to do with Christ the King.

Christ in Glory, 1597-98, oil on canvas, Annibale Carracci (b.1560, Bologna, d. 1609, Roma), Galleria Palatina (Palazzo Pitti), Florence

Few people would deny that the world is against God or that many people who claim to be Christians twist the Word of God to suit their own agenda which often masquerades as “social justice” which always seems to create more injustice, not less. You would have to be a sleeping Rip van Winkle not to see that this is the most godless age ever in the history of the world since God called Abraham – or even maybe before.  Since the beginning of the age of enlightenment man has steadily become more homocentric as opposed to theocentric. The heresy of modernism has, since its spawning in the 19th century, greatly facilitated this trend. Sadly, many in the hierarchy of the Catholic Church have become infected to the point of over-emphasizing the horizontal aspect of worship at the expense of the vertical dimension and social work at the expense of spiritual growth.

Interwoven with the de-emphasis on the first three commandments we can see that doctrinal truth has been sacrificed at the expense of ideology of all kinds. Natural law is violated without regard to the consequences.  “If it feels good, do it!” is a prevailing mantra which originated in the 1960s and has become the rule of life for many today.

Inconvenient truths in many places simply are not taught, such as contraception being a grave offense against God.  Priests have been punished for speaking the truths of the Faith from their pulpits and in their parish bulletins while other priests who speak falsely are rewarded.  I have direct experience with a bishop who opposed the Pope and Catholic tradition on a number of issues and earned a very bad name for myself among his supporters.  It seems the word “obey” applied only to those of us he strove to corrupt and not to himself. But we cannot obey unjust commands from anyone, which is why some Catholic dioceses are shutting down Catholic adoption agencies, for example.  The state demands same-sex couples be allowed to adopt children into a life style opposing the very clear will of God as spoken in sacred scripture, and the Church cannot act opposite to her teachings.

The answer to the corruption of the world

On Facebook and other places you can find groups dedicated to the “Social Reign of Jesus Christ.”  That is an admirable and desired end for the world, but Christ must rule in every heart first. If our Savior does not reign in our hearts, our actions will not be congruent with His words.  It is up to each individual to examine his conscience daily on the subject of whether he is putting God first and not himself.  Only when sufficient numbers of Christians really put Christ first in their hearts, when they ruthlessly root out attachments to their own wills, when they are willing to stand up and live the Two Great Commandments – not just the one, will we have anything approximating the “Social Reign of Jesus Christ.” No doubt, as in the past, we will have many martyrs spilling their blood before this comes to pass, if it ever does in this life.

The difficulty of achieving the preeminence of Christ in this life is no reason for any of us to shirk doing battle with ourselves.  Many useful practices and devotions are available to help us, bringing graces upon our souls that strengthen us in fortitude, for the virtue of fortitude is most necessary to fight the human inclination to want to be liked, to blend in and do what everybody else is doing, and to talk and think like the majority – and the majority is not and has not been for Christ in centuries.

We are the servants of the Lord.  The servant is not above his Master (Matt. 10: 24).  Standing up for Christ is an invitation to get publicly clobbered by the many who want to enforce their self-originated version of truth.  But we need not fear the majority because Jesus tells us in Matthew 10: 26-31:

Fear them not therefore: for there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; and hid, that shall not be known. What I tell you in darkness, that speak ye in light: and what ye hear in the ear, that preach ye upon the housetops. And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows.

And in Matthew 10: 32-33 we hear the glorious promise to those of us who stand strong against the world:

Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven. But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven.

In the times of Ruth and Boaz, the people had a custom of greeting one another with the phrase, Dominus vobiscum (tecum), meaning “The Lord be with you.”  The response was, “The Lord bless you.”  Today at Mass we hear “The Lord be with you” many times, and we respond, “And with your spirit.”  I do not intend to go into the theology of this today, but simply wish to use this as an illustration of one practice people used in Old Testament times to keep the Lord in mind, a practice that is enshrined within our sacred liturgy today.

In religious communities in the 1960s and before, the common greeting when meeting someone in the halls or entering a room was the phrase, “Praised be Jesus Christ.”  The answer was, “Now and forever.”  I don’t know if this practice is still observed, but I am convinced that if Christians greeted each other this way every time we meet, it would be a big help towards the world being brought back into a right relationship with God.

To do my part in witnessing to the supremacy of Christ the King and to building the virtue of fortitude in my soul, I am going to try to remember to end each blog post with this phrase regardless of the subject.  I trust that this practice will keep my posts on track with pure intentions and charity, and that it will always be a reminder to me to suffer with joy.  I will explain the “Amen” addition in another post.  Will anyone stand with me?  I invite you all.

V. Praised be Jesus Christ.

R. Now and forever.  Amen.

This has been a busy week which has included a 1 day trip in and out of St. Louis for my husband’s doctor appointment yesterday, so I have neglected my posting.  Although I’m really tired from yesterday, I wanted to write about a lovely experience I had this morning.

Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays are the times when I can get into the therapy pool at the rehab center.  There are a group of us “regulars” who come between the hours of 8:00 to 11:00 to do our various exercises.  It’s gotten to be an uplifting experience of support and encouragement for all of us who are so grateful for the chance to get moving with as little stress as possible.  We often speak of how much worse we feel if we miss our pool time.

Today we were blessed with a newcomer who, due to family schedules, usually comes once a week in the evening.  She is a pre-teen in a wheelchair whose mom brings her and helps her to exercise.  With all her obvious physical limitations, nothing is wrong with her mind or her spirit.  She is everything I love about young people and more – she has the innocence, purity, open-heartedness and joy of youth, yet with a wisdom beyond her years.  This child bears a great physical burden with grace and God, is cheerful and outgoing, and does not fail to inspire.

We spoke freely about our favorite Bible books and how life without God would be unbearable.  She mentioned how God tests us and proves us with our infirmities and how her sister encouraged her to visualize herself doing something she has wanted to do for some time.  The ability to look forward and set goals for herself regardless of the grave challenges she faces, and to do it without a trace of self-pity or hesitation is a gift others with far fewer infirmities would do well to seek.

The three of us, her mother, I, and the girl, agreed that our meeting was meant to be – a real God-incidence. I was pleased to tell of my great fortune of finding a natural health doctor in the area who also might be able to help her with certain aspects of her health conditions and happy that they both are also interested in holistic medicine.  We found we shopped at the same health food stores and chattered about how we dealt with our gluten sensitivities.

I don’t know if we will see each other again, but my takeaway from today is that if we are where we are supposed to be, doing what we are supposed to do, God will send us precious moments like these where He reveals Himself in unexpected ways. Please pray for this remarkable young lady who lights up the place wherever she goes.  She is truly one who suffers with joy.

King David Playing the Zither, Andrea Celesti (1637-1712 Venice), oil on canvas, private collection

On Saturdays we join Jenny at Just a Minute for the Praying the Psalms meme.  Meet me and other bloggers who reflect on a new psalm each week, and leave comments if you are so moved.

In this psalm, which alternates between bewailing his physical and mental sufferings and the treachery of others, and expressing complete trust in God, King David exposes the misery and helplessness of the human condition. The final verses contain a great exhortation, a great call to action for the Christian.  But before we get there, we stop along the way to join Christ on the Cross in verse 5:

v.5: Into Thy hands I commend my spirit; Thou hast redeemed me O Lord, O faithful God. [Recounted in Luke 23:46, we see our Savior, apparently a great failure over Whom Satan has apparently triumphed, making the final offering of Himself to His Father. With these words on His dying lips, Christ shows us that no matter how dark things seem to earthly eyes, with the heavenly eyes of the soul we know without a doubt that we are redeemed, that God is faithful to His promises, that with true repentance comes true forgiveness, and we will not be put to shame (cast into hell) forever.

From the hour of Compline in the Divine Office on Fridays:

R.  Into Your hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit (which is repeated)

V.  For You have redeemed us, O Lord, God of truth.

R. I commend my spirit.

V.  Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.

R.  Into Your hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit.

The Church prays this before sleep that should we die in the night, we will sleep in the Lord. It has always been a favorite of mine because of the expressed abandonment to Divine Providence and reminder of Christ's suffering.  We can never ponder enough that final act of self-sacrifice that culminated in our redemption, and we can never express trust in God too much. ]

And now the great exhortation:

v. 23-24: Love the Lord all you His faithful ones! The Lord keeps those who are constant, but more than requites those who act proudly.  Take courage and be stouthearted, all you who hope in the Lord. [To be constant does not mean we never sin.  It means that we constantly repent and attempt in good faith to live the Gospel.  We keep our eyes on the words and example of Christ and seek His light.  Getting distracted by the evil in this world and willfully placing ourselves in occasions of sin disturbs constancy and impedes us on that road through the narrow gate.

The proud and haughty who live as if they are above the law and who abuse the anawim will be requited according to their crimes, an eternal and horrifying requital from which there is no escape. Just as the Jews suffered in the temporal world, so we continue to suffer today from the proud.  Although the Lord has come and opened the gates of heaven for us, we must courageously walk in His bloody footsteps, for the servant is not greater than the Master. But each day affords us many opportunities to be stouthearted and hope in the Lord, especially when we are tempted to revenge, to contumely, and to nursing hurt feelings. Lord, that I may be humble and trust in Thee completely - that I may follow Thee courageously with an unwavering heart.]

Last week I wrote about how hackers had cost me both money and peace of mind.  Admittedly, my first reaction was to think of some colorful curses like the well-known Arabic one: “May the fleas of a thousand camels infest your armpits.”  I even came up with a few highly applicable and intricate ones of my own.  But St. Paul writes in Romans 12: 17-19,

To no man render evil for evil. Provide good things, not only in the sight of God, but also in the sight of all men. If it be possible, as much as is in you, have peace with all men. Revenge not yourselves, my dearly beloved; but give place unto wrath, for it is written: Revenge is mine, I will repay, saith the Lord.

It’s clear the Lord’s message is, “Forget about it and let Me take care of it.” Now that is not so easy, but it surely is best. After all, it’s a trillion to one odds that I would ever be able to get direct satisfaction from these predators.  But what of future wrongs?  Until we’re dead, we always have the opportunity for someone to work us over.  How can I develop the mindset God wants me to have so I can really let go and leave things up to Him?

As I was pondering these things, it so happened that my Bible fell open at Psalm 9B (10).  How this occurred I don’t remember, but it seems that the lesson was meant for me and I have been mulling it over all week.  Human nature hasn’t changed in the thousands of years since this prayer was written.  But this psalm surely can bring consolation to the abused and afflicted.  In fact, it describes daily life in a corrupt society we must all deal with and still stay Christian.  As you read this, fill in your own blanks to see how it applies.

1.  Why, O Lord, do you stand aloof?  Why hide in times of distress?

2.  Proudly the wicked harass the afflicted, who are caught in the devices the wicked have contrived.

3.  For the wicked man glories in his greed, and the covetous blasphemes, sets the Lord at naught.  The wicked man boasts,

4.  “He will not avenge it”; “there is no God,” sums up his thoughts.

5.  His ways are secure at all times; your judgments are far from his mind;

6.  all his foes he scorns.  He says in his heart, “I shall not be disturbed; from age to age I shall be without misfortune.”

7.  His mouth is full of cursing, guile and deceit; under his tongue are mischief and iniquity.

8.  He lurks in ambush near the villages; in hiding he murders the innocent; his eyes spy upon the unfortunate.

9.  He waits in secret like a lion in his lair; he lies in wait to catch the afflicted; he catches the afflicted and drags them off in his net.

10.  He stoops and lies prone till by his violence fall the unfortunate.

11.  He says in his heart, “God has forgotten; he hides his face, he never sees.”

12.  Rise, O Lord!  O God, lift up your hand.

13.  Forget not the afflicted!  Why should the wicked man despise God, saying in his heart, “He will not avenge it”?

14.  You do see, for you behold misery and sorrow, taking them in your hands.  On you the unfortunate man depends; of the fatherless you are the helper.

15.  Break the strength of the wicked and of the evildoer; punish their wickedness; let them not survive.

16.  The Lord is king forever and ever; the nations have perished out of his land.

17.  The desire of the afflicted you hear, O Lord; strengthening their hearts,

18.  you pay heed to the defense of the fatherless and the oppressed, that man, who is of earth, may terrify no more.

Since Holy Scripture is of the Holy Spirit, these inspired words show clearly how God regards those who prey upon the poor. This psalm is both a caution never to throw in with evildoers, and a consolation to the oppressed. If our eyes are unwaveringly fixed on God, the evil men of this world and the demons of hell behind them cannot terrify us.  Yes, I trust in God to deal with the hackers, scammers, murderers, liars and thieves in life as St. Paul urged, and will pray this psalm often that they be prevented from harming others.  I pray also never to be their useful idiot.

In my post Seeking God’s Will I introduced readers to my dear friend Father Philip Schuster, OSB (RIP). I am reading his book again as part of my ongoing journey of suffering with joy.  His simplicity of heart was very inspiring and it opened my eyes to having greater trust in God. We will never achieve the holiness God desires for us if we don’t learn this lesson because our intellectual pride will always block our surrender to Him. To the extent we refuse to surrender we limit our ability to love.

Three Children of Fatima

Saints are not made overnight.  Achieving great charity, and that is the meaning of being a saint,  is done minute-by-minute, hour-by-hour, day-by-day with much toe-stubbing, ankle-twisting and knee-skinning along the way.  The first step seems to me to empty ourselves of our intellectual pride - and sometimes that’s like bailing out a boat with a leaky bucket – so that we follow the exhortation of Jesus: Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a child, shall not enter into it. (Lk. 18: 17).  Faith is to be received Jesus tells us, simply, as a child believes his parents, with open-hearted trust in God and an emptying of self.  If we do not become child-like, we make no room in our hearts for faith.

Here is that beautiful, child-like simplicity from Father Philip:

Human reason or intellect enters into faith and has a very important place.  But in faith, reason isn’t there to question what God has said or to determine what is true.  For by faith we already know what is true.  God has told us.  Reason is there to study the meaning of it all, to see the beauty and goodness of it all, to make the truth my own, to respond to it and live it. But not to question it!  For we know it is true, once God has revealed it.

As soon as you question what God has said, you indicate little faith or no faith at all. Consider what happened to Zechariah (see Luke 1:20).  Faith demands that I keep an open mind to what God has to say, and that when I believe, I believe simply because God has spoken…

It just may be true that saying we believe is not necessarily proof of real faith.  Perhaps we often accept some truth or some moral law, not because we are convinced that God has taught it, but because it seems right to us and fits our desires at present. Proof of this, at least proof enough for us to take warning, comes from the fact that if something taught by the Church today doesn’t seem reasonable to us, we hesitate or even refuse to accept it.  Which more or less proves that we are guided all along by our own reasoning power and not by faith.  For again, faith is essentially a simple accepting because God has spoken.

Father Philip cuts to the heart of the matter.  When I think of the times I doubted in the past, it was because I allowed the devil to confuse me.  He only does this when our willfulness rules us and we press forward into sin because we want to indulge.  I can truthfully say that any time I asked God for a deeper understanding of a truth of the Faith, He always answered me. Sometimes He made me wait awhile.  Sometimes He showed me right away.  But He never denied me the grace to see the beauty, goodness, and harmony of it all, nor the grace as Father Philip writes, “to respond to it and live it.”

I’ll be back with more from Father Philip soon.

Psalms 29:7f., Moshe Tzvi HaLevi Berger, Artist's comment: "Shafts of fire. In the Scriptures, the Almighty describes Himself as a devouring fire. But this fire is special - it can destroy but it can also purify and elevate. It is so kind, that it can enlighten the path of the lost ones who are searching and lead them towards life, the Eternal's greatest gift."

Psalm 29 is about the voice of the Lord and the many ways He speaks to us, softly and loudly, but always powerfully.

1. Give to the Lord, you sons of God, give to the Lord glory and praise. [This is the justice we owe to God, our creator - always glory and praise for all He has done for us, especially for giving us life.]

2. Give to the Lord the glory due His name; adore the Lord in holy attire. [The name of God is Jesus, the Word, who deserves our thanksgiving and honor and glory and adoration for bending to us, for taking on our flesh and sacrificing Himself for us.

To adore the Lord in holy attire is to stand before Him in sanctifying grace.  Of ourselves we have nothing, but he gives us the holy attire, the wedding clothes, the grace to be humbly and joyfully in His presence. He knows we are poor, yet He wants us in His presence so He gives us the garment of salvation, just what we need to be there.  How can we not glorify His name for this great mercy?]

3-9.  The voice of the Lord is over the waters.  The voice of the Lord is mighty; the voice of the Lord is majestic.  The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars, the Lord breaks the cedars of Lebanon.  He makes Lebanon leap like a calf and Sarion like a young wild bull.  The voice of the Lord strikes fiery flames; the voice of the Lord shakes the desert, the Lord shakes the wilderness of Kadesh.  The voice of the Lord twists the oaks and strips the forests, and in His temple all say “Glory!” [Jesus commanded the waves to subside and the winds to calm during the storm when His apostles were frightened.  This miracle is the living embodiment of the psalm. No matter how strong the wind blows or how hard it rains, He is there and in control. In every storm I pray to God for protection and ask Him to prevent harm to us, knowing that it pleases Him to be recognized by His creature for His power and glory.]

In the temple of the Lord on every Sunday, we glorify His name in the Gloria in excelsis Deo. His holy Word in the scriptures strikes fiery flames in our hearts – flames that burn our faults and sins away through penance and conversion of heart – flames of longing for Him that become one with the flames of His love for us until we are totally purified of selfishness. All in His temple – angels, saints, and sinners on earth, and all creation cry out “Glory!”  If we do not do this, we have no idea of who we are and Who He is.  We do not know the meaning of love.]

10-11.  The Lord is enthroned above the flood; the Lord is enthroned as king forever.  May the Lord give strength to His people; may the Lord bless His people with peace! [John 14:27: “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” Christ is our King forever.  He gives us the peace of knowing that no matter the difficulties we suffer in this life, if we live His teachings we will have eternal harmony, peace, at-one-ness with Him and each other. Who does not want this great blessing?

We are here to practice for our eternal heavenly peace.  The daily battles to overcome our faults and sins are won not with our strength but with His that He gives us when we call upon His name, Jesus.  Perhaps the greatest peace this side of heaven is knowing that no matter how bad things are, the Lord is always with us, seeing and knowing our needs, and teaching us His ways if we look and listen to His voice. It is right that we ask to be blessed with peace, for in asking that, we are asking for the eternal life He wants to give us.  Lord, that I may keep my eyes on the prize in this life so that I may persevere into eternal peace, joy, and life with You.  Send forth the fire of Your Holy Spirit to burn, in mercy, everything that stands between us.  Be my strength in all things for the glory of Your Name.

Since I began participating in the meme “Praying the Psalms” and stumbled on the work of Moshe Tzvi Halevi Berger, I have been thinking about this man and his work. What contribution might his paintings make to my spiritual life and my understanding of our heavenly Father? What of his life will contribute to my understanding of Orthodox Judaism? What might it tell of the minds and hearts of devout Jews at the time of Jesus?  Of devout Jews of today?

These subjects may not be important to many, but I am always thinking of how we Catholics can possibly bridge the gap between our understanding of Christ and that of others. Who knows what role the answers to my questions will play in gathering others to Him?  Perhaps none, but learning more will make me a better, more thankful Christian and deepen my awe of how God works in others.  Of that I am sure.

To understand Berger’s paintings, it is important to understand the man.  Born in 1925 in Transylvania, Berger is no ordinary person although he looks like the quintessential Jewish grandfather.  He is someone I wish I could sit down and speak with for many days because of his fascinating life and work.

Berger is descended from a long line of Hassidic Rabbis. As a young man he was interned in a Nazi prison camp for several years and after being liberated completed medical school to became an oral surgeon.  By 1957 he quit medical practice to study in Paris at the Ecole des Beaux Arts.  He also studied in Italy at Rome’s Instituto de Belle Arte and became a successful commercial artist.  God was working in Berger in the midst of his secular success, however.  His artistic focus changed dramatically when he began studying the Torah and Kabbalah. In 1982 as he began living as an observant Jew, he was experiencing that deep longing only God can satisfy.

A short departure here: the Torah is the five books of Moses.  The Kabbalah is, according to Wikipedia

a discipline and school of thought concerned with the mystical aspect of Rabbinic Judaism. It is a set of esoteric teachings meant to explain the relationship between an eternal and mysterious Creator and the mortal and finite universe (His creation).

As in New Age systems that corrupt Christian teaching and mash eastern mysticism with Christian spirituality, some unscrupulous people promote the Kabbalah as holding the “secrets” of all wisdom.  It’s all gnosticism and what the attraction to this perversion of truth holds for many is beyond me.   I can say that based on what Berger writes about his paintings, he is giving expression to the mystery of God’s love for man in his art, making verses of the Psalms become visual.  Superstition and gnosticism appear to play no part in his thinking or work.

After moving to the United States in the early 1980s, Berger gained renown for very large Kabbalistic murals he painted in Florida and Brooklyn, New York.  The latter was six stories high.  In 1988 he began his series of Psalm paintings which would take him fifteen years to complete. The year 1992 saw him move to Jerusalem where in 1995 he founded the Museum of Psalms in a building located in the courtyard of the synagogue built by former Israel Chief Rabbi, Avraham Yitzhak Kook.   Berger lives in a single room next to the museum and visitors often are privileged to have him as a guide when viewing his works.

As if illustrating all 150 Psalms was not enough, Berger embarked on the task of painting 42 images on healing, light, and meditation called the Sun series. Based on the Zohar, these are no less deep than the Psalm paintings.  Completed in 2007, they are part of the collection at the Museum of Psalms.

Another short departure: the Zohar is a group of books including commentary on the mystical aspects of the Torah (the five books of Moses).  Wikipedia says,

The Zohar contains a discussion of the nature of God, the origin and structure of the universe, the nature of souls, redemption, the relationship of Ego to Darkness and “true self” to “The Light of God,” and the relationship between the “universal energy” and man. Its scriptural exegesis can be considered an esoteric form of the Rabbinic literature known as Midrash, which elaborates on the Torah.

The goal of Moshe Tzvi HaLevi Berger in painting the Psalms was to “bring inspiration to the souls of many who seek spiritual enlightenment and do not live by bread alone.”

These are the very words Jesus spoke in Matt. 4:4:

But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God

and Luke 4:4:

And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God

derived from Deuteronomy 8:3:

And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the LORD doth man live.

Berger has had more than 100 one-man shows on three continents.  Had it not been for the internet, I would never have discovered this great and unique spiritual art which rightly belongs to the Judeo-Christian heritage.  In my next post I will write a little about the elements of symbolism in his works but for now, let me say that he has inspired me on my journey of suffering with joy.

On Saturdays we join Jenny at Just a Minute to pray a new psalm each week. This week we pray Psalm 27 where we learn the reward of trust in the Lord.

I think often of Jesus, Mary and Joseph praying these psalms in the synagogue and at home; of the apostles praying them with Jesus.  The psalms are the prayer of Christ to the Father, and our prayer to the Father in Jesus’ name as members of His Mystical Body.

Psalm 28 illustration by Moshe Tzvi HaLevi Berger. From a series illustrating all 150 psalms. Artist's comment: "His estate is the world. He made it round like the pupil of His eye or, like the womb pregnant with existence, His world is surrounded by emanations precipitated in the middle of nothingness and supported by His power. For the world would not endure for a second without His care. And His people would not exist for a moment without His blessing."

1.  To You, O Lord, I call; O my Rock, be not deaf to me, lest, if you heed me not, I become one of those going down into the pit. [The realm of eternal death and defeat is not ours when we call on the Lord.  The proof of God's mercy and love for us is eternal happiness, but we must call on our Rock who stands firm, never moves, and is always accessible in the storms and ravages of life.]

2.  Hear the sound of my pleading, when I cry to you, lifting up my hands toward your holy shrine. [We lift up our hands to His sanctuary, holding in them our hearts.  The work of our hands is the repression of evil in this world through fulfilling our vocation - to "do whatever He tells you" as Mary instructed the stewards at the wedding of Cana.]

3. Drag me not away with the wicked, with those who do wrong, who speak civilly to their neighbors though evil is in their hearts.

4.  Repay them for their deeds, for the evil of their doings.  For the work of their hands repay them; give them their deserts.

5.  Because they consider not the deeds of the Lord nor the work of his hands, may he tear them down and not build them up. [God is the just judge, the one who tries every heart. We are right to beseech deliverance from the wicked, to not be identified with their deeds, but in charity we must pray for their conversion and forgive them as Christ forgave his tormentors.  Only Satan and his fellow fallen angels are beyond hope and we must pray against them to the Father that they not overcome us.  For us, until we draw our last breath, we hope in God's mercy and justice.]

6.  Blessed be the Lord, for he has heard the sound of my pleading; [God always hears us and always gives us what we need.  We must pray that we recognize the gifts and blessings He is giving us, even when they come disguised as suffering and adversity.]

7.  the Lord is my strength and my shield.  In him my heart trusts, and I find help; then my heart exults, and with my song I give him thanks. [In this great declaration of dependence, we decry any strength of our own and avow a childlike trust in God.  His power and loving care for us is cause for joy and thanksgiving.  This espousal of the truth of our relationship with Him reaches complete fruition in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.]

8.  The Lord is the strength of his people, the saving refuge of his anointed. [Jesus' strength is in His Father - "the Father and I are one," - "Philip, he who sees Me sees the Father".  Anointed at Baptism and Confirmation and finally in Extreme Unction, we profess with Jesus that the Father is our strength.  Fleeing to Him, seeking His face always in the midst of death and destruction around us, we share in the victory of Christ, the Anointed of the Father.]

9.  Save your people, and bless your inheritance; feed them, and carry them forever! [We are the inheritance of Christ, all of us who bow down before the Holy Trinity, who confess Jesus to be our savior and live that confession daily.  We are fed with His Body and Blood in the Holy Eucharist, and we are carried in the arms of the Father forever.]

Sometimes I, the wriggling child, try to wrench myself from the arms of my Father to go off and do what I want, rather than peacefully resting on His shoulder.  This psalm tells us that our reward for trust in God is to live shielded in His arms and fed on His Word eternally, safe from all disturbance.  The final peace of soul we receive is the rest in absolute Truth and perfect relationship with God.  Lord, that I may stop wriggling and reaching away from you and settle myself in your arms forever!

Over the past couple of months I’ve been thinking of a dear friend, Father Philip Schuster, O.S.B., one of the monks murdered at Conception Abbey on June 10, 2002 by a gunman whose motives will forever remain unknown as he had no connection to any of the monks nor to the abbey and left nothing in spoken word or writing to say why he did it.

Lloyd Robert Jeffress got in his car with an AK 47 and a .22 caliber sawed off rifle and drove a couple of hours from Kansas City to Conception, Missouri to execute as many monks as he could find. Father Philip, age 84 and monastery porter, was shot in the torso and finished off with a shot to the head after he fell.  The bullet hole remains in the hallway floor.  Brother Damian, known as “the weather monk” was also killed.  Two other monks who entered the hallway from their offices were shot, gravely wounded, and recovered after a long time.  When Jeffress couldn’t find anybody else to shoot, he went back down the hall and through the same door to the basilica he had used to enter the monastery, and killed himself.  In the midst of mourning the Abbot re-consecrated the basilica the next day.

I made a some private retreats at the abbey with Father Philip and visited him there with my husband on our way north to see friends.  He had been the novice master of my pastor and he was just the person I needed at that time of my life.  On one of my visits, he gave me a copy of the book he wrote, Seeking God’s Will Through Faith, Hope & Charity, full of the simple wisdom about life only a very prayerful monk with vast pastoral experience could write.

Father Philip was everything a priest should be and solid as a rock theologically.  He set a good example for me in the spiritual life and I often think of things he said in our conferences.  One typical exchange between us happened when I was sitting in his porter’s office and we were discussing the rosary.  Father pulled an old, really old broken rosary out of his breast pocket (it came from a monk who died in 1927 and I have one just like it from the same monk) and waving it in the air said, “I love praying the rosary.  I don’t worry about getting all the prayers in.  Sometimes I just get a good meditation on the mystery and don’t worry about finishing every decade.” In other words, keep to the purpose of what you’re doing and don’t sweat the small stuff. Of the monk who blessed our rosaries so long ago he said, “Father Lucas hung every indulgence under the sun on these rosaries. I don’t mind that it’s broken.  Our Lady doesn’t mind if we pray on broken rosaries.”And Father Philip prayed on his so much he plumb wore it out.

If you boiled down the essence of Father Philip, it would be simplicity and faithfulness in conforming ourselves to God’s will.  He was kind and gentle, but very firm about obeying God’s laws.  He was utterly faithful to his monastic vows and using that old, broken rosary was a perfect example of his approach to the vow of poverty.  He clearly knew what was important and what was not.

Because life itself is threatened with such great intensity from so many sides these days, and peace of soul can be elusive for the person in the world, I decided to read a little of Father Philip’s book again every day and share some passages with you here.  This is a great book that never gets boring no matter how many times you read it. Father Philip was a gift from God to all, but especially to the tortured soul who needs to learn to suffer with joy, and I’m sure he brought many to God.  He lived what he wrote.

From Chapter Two: Faith:

“He who through faith is righteous shall live” (Rom. 1: 17).  In an age when personal freedom is so much stressed, it seems helpful and necessary to try to clarify our notion of faith.

Many of us were born into a Christian family.  Many of us, especially Catholics, were baptized as infants, or when we were very young.  I do not wish to see this practice changed.  I agree with it.  But it does have at least one danger.  We are prone to think that faith, like love, comes easily, naturally, without real effort on our part.  We assume that anyone who professes to be Catholic, and who goes to church, has a deep faith.  I challenge that notion.

It is true that when the child receives the sacrament of baptism, the virtue of faith is implanted in the soul, like a seed.  Whatever else that virtue may be at the time of baptism, it is an inclination, a force, that inclines us, helps us, gives us the attitude of one ready to believe, ready to be taught by God, relying simply on His wisdom, His fidelity, His goodness.  Relying on God who can neither deceive nor be deceived.

“Relying on God who can neither deceive nor be deceived.”  Wherever lies or deception of any kind exists, there is Satan who is the clever master of re-direction and re-definition. We see and hear this every day in the news media.  Something is forever being presented as something it is not and people rely on these deceptions to justify the unjustifiable. A fair question to ask is, am I ready to be taught by God, or do I habitually look elsewhere to be told what I want to hear?

The Church prays her sacred liturgy as the words of all true believers.  We can never go wrong when we address God through her official prayers. They are chanted in the name of all in her Body, which is the mystical Body of Christ. The thought that all the baptized are members of this Body is truly awesome to contemplate, and we should do our best to help others to become part of it that they may find the great spiritual joy we have.

From the rising to the setting of the sun all over the earth, the Holy Sacrifice is re-presented to our heavenly Father and we benefit from all the graces that come from this perpetual offering.  There is not one moment in time that the Church is not praying and there is not one prayer in the sacred liturgy that fails to show a right relationship with our Father. By praying these words attentively and with all our heart, we are imitating Christ just as much as we imitate Him by doing good to others.

When we pray the sacred liturgy we need never fear that our prayers are not good enough, or that we are praying for the wrong thing, or that our prayers lack sufficient merit, because it is Christ Himself offering the prayers. This is why our sacred liturgy is infinitely pleasing to the Father. With this in mind I take great comfort in the Sunday collect (prayer) which is prayed often in the liturgy throughout the week.  This past Sunday’s prayer is much needed in our day.

Graciously grant to us, we beseech Thee, O Lord, the spirit to think and do always such things as are rightful: that we, who cannot exist without Thee, may be enabled to live according to Thy will.  Through our Lord Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with Thee in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, world without end.  Amen.

How can our heavenly Father not grant this to us? We are asking that our minds and bodies be infused with the Holy Spirit so that we do only that which is just in His eyes and think only of that which is in accord with His law. We can be confident that God will give us what we ask for because we are asking for exactly what He wants to give us.  This prayer opens our hearts to Him, He who is deserving of all our love, honor, and worship.

In today’s age with the supreme arrogance of man wafting over airwaves and satellite day and night, the Church admits (and we with Her) that we cannot exist, and in fact would not exist at all without the power of our Creator.  This humble acknowledgment is the simple truth, and when we pray in total humility, we honor our Father who is offended by those who act as if all power comes from themselves. Moreover, this just prayer benefits all humanity.  We ask these things from God not only for ourselves, but for all our fellow men everywhere. As God was willing to spare Sodom and Gomorrah if Abraham could find only ten righteous men (Gen. 18), so the humble prayers of the few bring grace to the many.

We ask to be enabled to live according to the Father’s will.  We can do this only if we practice daily surrender to His providence and keep our eyes fixed on Christ, our Teacher and Savior.  The entire world becomes a better place when even one person becomes better at thinking and acting like Christ, doing the Father’s will. It’s the ripple effect of good that, if strong, can collide with and turn back the ripples of evil.  The effects of this prayer will be hidden from those who have eyes that do not see (Ez. 12: 2, Jer. 5: 21, Ps. 135: 16, Ps. 115: 5) but will be obvious to those who strive towards God, trusting in His care.

David points to his eye: an illustration of verse 13 of Psalm 27, tempera colors and gold paint on parchment, Master of Jean de Mandeville French, Paris, about 1360 - 1370

Psalm 27 is a prayer of trust in God no matter the adversities we face.  Every verse speaks of faith in the power of God and trust in His ways with sure knowledge of victory over the evil one.  Since my main spiritual task is to learn to trust in God for everything and to thank Him for His goodness, this psalm helps me a lot.  It’s long, so I will take only one of my favorite verses to speak about, #5:

One thing have I asked of the Lord, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to contemplate His temple.

One thing I look forward to about heaven is to “behold the beauty of the Lord”, a beauty that is sure to evoke a feeling of everlasting joy.  In heaven everything will be in place, in peace.  Nothing will be able to trouble us.  But God evidently means for us to start practicing faith and hope in Him in this life, and practicing humble worship of Him in His temple, too.  He is our strength.

I am learning not to struggle against adversity in this life, but rather to face it calmly and ask God what He wants me to learn from it.  Facing temporal and spiritual difficulties with peace of heart and confidence in God is a lifelong exercise of the soul and will. It is an habitual turning toward Christ and laying all things at His feet. As Father Paschal Botz, O.S.B. wrote about this psalm:

Faith and trust are an ever-flowing fountain that leads to eternal life.  If we seek His face in the celebrations around the Altar, Christ can fill our whole lives.  Generally Christians do not know all that the Altar means.  It is God’s special place, the crossroads of two worlds, the rock of ages, where trust grows out of the Sacrifice-Banquet.  There we live anew the Mysteries of Christ in our midst, share His sentiments of trust, become identified with His life-giving vitality. We lose our fears and false self and become truly free of real and phantom enemies.  We must take seriously that He is the Light of the world (Jn. 8:12), that no one goes to the Father except through Him (Jn. 14: 6), which includes His incarnation and sacramental system.  He was consumed with passion for God’s house, which He fulfilled in Himself.

After contemplating this I must often say to myself verse #14:

I believe that I shall see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living!

This psalm is prayed every Monday at the hour of Terce in the 1962 Divine Office. Monasteries and convents have it right when they stop everything seven times a day to praise God (eight times if you count getting up at 4:30 to chant Matins).   Because we’re human and very distractable and get agitated over worldly things, setting formal hours throughout the day to recollect ourselves and focus on God builds peace of soul. Holy Mass usually follows Terce in monastic life, and this psalm foretells the sharing in the Holy Eucharist. Gathering around His altar on earth I see the goodness of the Lord (the Holy Eucharist). I am in the land of the living with all others who are living in Him.

Jenny at Just a Minute hosts the meme Praying the Psalms each week.  Join her and other Catholic bloggers who share their thoughts on the psalms.

Painting by Mose Tzvi HaLevi Berger illustrating v.3 of Psalm 26. His comment about it: "The branches of this tree spell the word love. A father who loves his son must teach and reproach him, sometimes with kindness and sometimes with severity. Thus the Almighty's tree projects the color of red for strength and the color of blue for mercy. As for the middle, the white zone is reserved for loving kindness celebrated by surrounding branches."

This week we are covering Psalm 26 where the author defends himself before the law.  This psalm is about innocence on trial in the courts of the Lord.  The innocent One, Christ, prays this to the Father on our behalf. We pray it with Christ, signifying our unity with Him.

1  Vindicate me, O Lord, for I have walked in my integrity, and I have trusted in the Lord without wavering. 2 Prove me, O Lord, and try me; test my heart and my mind. 3 For Thy steadfast love is before my eyes, and I walk in faithfulness to Thee.

We are asking something fearsome in this psalm – to be tested by God in our hearts and minds – to be proven by God as as faithful to Him. God’s tests are never easy, but by constantly keeping the love God has for us before our eyes, that is, seeing and recognizing Him working in our lives for our good, we need not fear failing His tests.  By putting God first in our lives, we walk in faithfulness.  This does not mean that we don’t sin.  It means that we seek never to sin deliberately, and to get up after falling and keep walking on that narrow path that leads to the narrow gate.

4  I do not sit with false men, nor do I consort with dissemblers; 5 I hate the company of evildoers and I will not sit with the wicked.

One of the greatest and surest pieces of spiritual advice is to keep good company. It is akin to the old saying that we are known by the company we keep.  If we love God, we will keep company with others who love Him. We will withdraw from association with those committed to serving Satan even though they may promise us earthly wealth, prestige, and honors.

6 I wash my hands in innocence, and go about thy altar, O Lord, 7 singing aloud a song of thanksgiving and telling all Thy wondrous deeds.

Hand washing is symbolic of becoming clean of heart. King David speaks of coming to the altar of sacrifice with a pure heart and joining the procession around it, glorifying God.  Verses 1-7 are a sworn oath in the presence of God. Jesus was the true Innocent with the most pure Heart who glorified and thanked His Father in everything, no matter how bitter His suffering.

This is an important attitude of mind for us when we attend Mass.  We must be washed of sin and denounce our attractions to it before partaking in the Body and Blood of Christ. We must continually seek to be delivered from attachments to sin while asking for the grace to be attached to God. Moreover, we must develop a thankful spirit that does not hesitate to proclaim the great things God has done for us – we, spreading the Gospel, the good news of salvation and all that it implies.  What Jesus did for us on the cross is what we must do for our neighbor.

8 O Lord, I love the habitation of Thy house, and the place where Thy glory dwells. 9 Sweep me not away with sinners, nor my life with bloodthirsty men, 10 men in whose hands are evil devices, and whose right hands are full of bribes. 11 But as for me, I walk in my integrity; redeem me, and be gracious to me.  12  My foot stands on level ground; in the great congregation I will bless the Lord.

Graced we are when we love to attend Mass, to be present in front of the tabernacle, to be for those short moments each week transported from time into eternity. We cannot see the angels and saints in front of us at the Holy Sacrifice, but we know that we, and they, are in the house of God together, the place of glory where He dwells.

In verses 9-10, before the just Judge, we plead for the grace of faithfulness and salvation so that we do not spend eternity in hell with those who persist in offending God. I cannot help thinking of abortionists and aiders of suicide and euthanasia when I read the first part of verse ten. Our God is the God of life who always stands opposed to death and the usurpation of His power by mortals in league with Satan. It is right that we plead not to be swept away with them for in this plea we seek God’s grace to live a holy life that leads to eternity with Him. May our feet be on the level ground.  May we bless the Lord with all the angels and saints forever.

About the illustration:  From the Museum of Psalms in Jerusalem:

Moshe Tzvi HaLevi Berger, born in Transylvania in 1924, is a living embodiment of the strength of the human spirit. A Holocaust survivor, he went on to study art at both the Belle Arte in Rome and the Beaux Arts in Paris. His art has been showcased in over 100 one-man exhibitions across three continents. Mr. Berger has the distinction of being the first artist to exhibit his paintings at Jerusalem’s Western Wall.