The Lord is near to
all who call upon him, to all who call upon him in truth. He fulfills the desire of all who fear him; he
also hears their cry, and saves them.[1] The Lord preserves all who love
him.[2]
These passages
can very well give joy to us—and they should.
We call upon him, and we believe that the Lord is near us; and now he
will fulfill our desire. Not only that,
he will preserve us. In Psalm 37, we are
told, “Take delight in the Lord, and he
will give you the desires of your heart[3]--plural—but, here, “desire”
is singular. In reality, they are the
same: We desire to be conformed to
the image of Christ, while our desires
are to walk in his ways. Our desire must
be singular. A person who desires
salvation and possessions—or wealth-- is a
double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.[4] The person that desires both does not seek
wisdom. A person might pray for things
of the world, and that prayer might be answered. It very well could be that, when we meet
Christ, he will say: “Remember that you in your lifetime received your good
things … but now … you [will be] in anguish.”[5]
St. Leo the
Great teaches us: “Our state of peace … has its dangers, and it is vain for
those who do not withstand vicious desires to feel secure of the liberty which
is the privilege of their Faith. Men’s
hearts are shown by the character of their works, and the fashion of their
minds is betrayed by the nature of their actions. For there are some, as the Apostle says, ‘who
profess that they know God but deny Him by their deeds (cf. Titus 1:16).’ For the charge of denial is truly incurred
when the good which is heard in the sound of the voice is not present in the
conscience. Indeed, the frailty of man’s nature easily glides into faults; and,
because no sin is without its attractiveness, deceptive pleasure is quickly
acquiesced in (emphasis added). But
we should run for spiritual succor from the desires of the flesh; and the mind
that has knowledge of its God should turn away from the evil suggestion of the
enemy. Avail yourself of the
long-suffering of God and persist not in cherishing your sin [just] because its
punishment is put off. The sinner must
not feel secure of his impunity because, if he loses the time for repentance,
he will find no place for mercy, as the prophet says, ‘in death no one
remembers you and in the realms below who will confess to you’ (cf. Ps 6:6)? But let him who experiences the difficulty of
self-amendment and restoration [avail] himself to the mercy of a befriending God,
and ask that the chains of evil habit may be broken off by Him ‘who lifts up
those that fall and raises all the crushed’ (cf. Ps 145:14, 19). The prayer of one that confesses will not be
in vain since the merciful God ‘will grant the desire of those that fear Him’
(cf. Ps 145:19) and will give what is asked, as He gave the Source from Which
to ask.”[6] We can understand what our true desire is by
considering the things that drive us. If
we find ourselves desiring to buy things, possess things, because they catch
our fancy or to possess wealth, then we need to implore God that he gives us
the desire to possess him. Therein lies
happiness, because God is happiness.
Now,
sometimes we pray, and it seems that God does not answer our prayer. When we pray properly, God will not deny
us. As St. Augustine said, God gives in
due season, when the time is right. Our
Lord promises us: Whatever you ask in my
name, I will do it, that the Father may be glorified in the Son; if you ask
anything in my name, I will do it.[10] The phrase “in my name” basically means: if
we ask for the things Jesus would ask of the Father.
St.
Augustine continues: “‘The Lord is nigh unto all that call upon Him’ (ver. 18).
[Why is it then also said], ‘Then shall
they call upon Me, and I will not hear them’ (cf. Pro 1:28)? See then what follows: ‘…all who call upon Him
in truth.’ For many call upon Him, but
not in truth. They seek something else
from Him, but seek not Himself.”[11] We have received Christ in Baptism and are
anointed with the Holy Spirit in the Sacrament of Confirmation; however,
oftentimes we, afterwards, begin to desire corporeal and worldly things more
than the Creator Himself. We begin to
lose that what we have for the things that we don’t have or the things we do
have, which we treasure more than God himself.
Augustine
continues in his exposition: “‘He will perform the will of them that fear Him’
(ver. 19). He will perform it… Though He performs it not at once, yet He
will perform it. Certainly, if therefore
you fear God, that you may do His will, behold even He in a manner ministers to
you; He does your will. ‘And He shall
hear their prayer, and save them.’ … When?
Hear the Apostle telling you: ‘For we
are saved in hope; but hope which is seen is not hope; but, if what we see not
we hope for, then do we with patience wait for it’ (cf. Ro 8:24): ‘the
salvation,’ that is, which Peter calls ‘ready to be revealed in the last time’
(cf. 1 Pe 1:5).”[12] This hope is manifested in us when we are yearning
for Christ to be revealed in us, our desire to be in his image. We see now that we are far short of this, which
causes us to cry out in prayer for him to transform us. He will grant our will because this is also
his will.
The Lord preserves all who love him. We do not love God just because we say or
think we love him. We are not the Judge,
the authority, who determines our love of God.
God is. It is for this purpose
that we should pray, “Lord, my love of you falls short; make me love you more.” Because this is our will, which comports with
his, he will grant it—but not all at once.
It will be a process. For this
reason, we keep praying. We keep praying
not because God might not answer our prayer but because we might not persevere
in our desire, due to our frailty, our inclination to sin. We continue praying, also, because we know
that, if our love falls short, it would be to our detriment. St. Augustine explains: “‘The Lord guards all
that love Him, and all sinners He will destroy’ (ver. 20). You see that there is severity with Him, with
whom is so great sweetness. He will save
all that hope in Him, all the faithful, all that fear Him, all that call upon
Him in truth; ‘and all sinners He will destroy.’ What ‘all sinners,’ save those who persevere
in sin; who dare to blame God, not themselves; who daily argue against God; who
despair of pardon for their sins, and from this very despair heap up their
sins; or who perversely promise themselves pardon and … depart not from their
sins and impiety? The time will come for
all these to be separated and for the two divisions to be made of them, one on
the right hand, the other on the left and for the righteous to receive the
everlasting Kingdom, the wicked to go into everlasting fire.”[13] Just because we “promise” ourselves that God
will not punish our sins and impiety does not mean that he will not. He is holy.
He must be Just.
Reading Matthew
26:69-75, it might appear that our Lord did not preserve St. Peter from
falling. However, we know that Jesus did
because he tells the apostle: “Simon,
Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat, but I have prayed for you that your faith
may not fail (emphasis added);
and when you have turned again, strengthen your brethren.”[14] We
see God not forcing Peter against his will but working in accord with the
apostle’s will, for the will of Peter is: “Lord,
I am ready to go with you to prison and to death.”[15] When the cock crowed, Peter remembered the saying of Jesus, “Before the cock crows, you will
deny me three times.” And he went out and wept bitterly.[16] We see Peter’s repentance. His will comported with that of God’s. Therefore, God preserved Peter from falling
away from salvation.
Judas, on
the other hand—who we must presume was baptized—did not have that desire of the
heart, that his will was more bent towards the things of the world. It was for this purpose that he agreed to
betray our Lord. However, when Judas, his betrayer, saw that [Jesus]
was condemned, he repented and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the
chief priests and the elders, saying, “I have sinned in betraying innocent
blood.”[17] Although he repented of what he had done, it
appears that he had no hope of being forgiven: And throwing down the pieces of silver in the temple, he departed; and
he went and hanged himself.[18] In that he had no hope, it was not his will
to be forgiven; therefore, he hung himself out of despair.
Both Judas
and Peter were near Christ, in that they walked with him, but they had
different desires. Judas’ desire—although
he probably desired to be in the kingdom--was money, so God gave him over to his
desire. Peter’s desire was salvation, to
be in the likeness of Christ; therefore, God granted him his desire. God tells us through Sirach: Do not set your heart on your wealth, nor
say, “I have enough.” Do not follow your
inclination and strength, walking according to the desires of your heart.[19] We can easily convince ourselves that our
desires are not contrary to God’s will; therefore, we will not pray for wisdom. Although our Lord tells us through St. James,
“If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask
God, who gives to all men generously and without reproaching, and it will be
given him,”[20] we
will not ask because we desire to be ignorant, for we desire our will to be
done.
From this,
we can presume that St. Peter strove
to enter the kingdom, although he faltered at times, while Judas sought to enter but was unable to. This was due to his lack of faith. “Without
faith it is impossible to please him. For
whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards
those who seek him.[21] Both of them followed the Lord, did miracles
in his name, even the casting out of demons (cf. Lk 9:1-6). Our Lord commands us: “Strive to enter by the narrow door; for many, I tell you, will seek to
enter and will not be able.[22] That
word, “strive,” should cause us to question ourselves and begin praying, for “strive”
means to make great efforts to achieve or obtain something. It does not mean to “just believe” something. However, we do not despair because our Lord
leads us, helps us.
“Children, obey your parents in the Lord,
for this is right. ‘Honor your father and mother’ (this is the first
commandment with a promise), ‘that it may be well with you and that you may
live long on the earth’.”[23] When we read what is said previously, the
apostle tells us plainly that he is speaking, first of all, regarding Christ
and his Church and, secondly, that it refers to husbands and wives. Hence, his usage of the word “children” makes
this passage appertain to us. Therefore,
“parents” will appertain to the Church and her bishops and priests. It is then that the promise applies to
us. “Honor” means high respect, great
esteem; but it also means adherence to what is right or to a conventional
standard of conduct, which is obedience.
The synonyms of “honor” include: integrity,
honorableness, honesty, uprightness, ethics, morals, morality, principle,
(high) principles, righteousness, rectitude, nobility, high-mindedness,
right-mindedness, noble-mindedness, virtue, goodness, decency, probity,
scrupulousness, worthiness, worth, fairness, justness, justice, truthfulness,
trustworthiness, reliability, dependability, faithfulness, fidelity. The Church is the Body of Christ, of which
our Lord Jesus is the Head; therefore, he teaches us through her. God is our Father; the Blessed Virgin is our
Mother. They teach us through the
Church, and we should obey our “parents in the Lord, for this is right.” There are some in the Church who do not
strive to obey her; therefore, these words of our Lord apply to them: “Strive to enter by the narrow door; for
many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able. When once the householder has risen up and
shut the door, you will begin to stand outside and to knock at the door,
saying, ‘Lord, open to us.’ He will answer you, ‘I do not know where you come
from’.”[24] Sometimes it may be that we don’t agree with
the Church. However, we must trust our Lord, and we exhibit that
trust by obedience to the Church. We
cannot go wrong in doing that. Paragraph
215 of our Catechism says: “God is Truth itself, whose words cannot deceive. This is why one can abandon oneself in full
trust to the truth and faithfulness of his word in all things. The beginning of sin and of man’s fall was due
to a lie of the tempter who induced doubt of God’s word, kindness, and
faithfulness.”[25] Because of the concupiscence which is in us,
we might disagree or not understand; therefore, we must trust in God through
his Church, the kingdom of God. “Because
the Holy Spirit is the anointing of Christ, it is Christ who, as the head of
the Body, pours out the Spirit among his members to nourish, heal, and organize
them in their mutual functions, to give them life, send them to bear witness,
and associate them to his self-offering to the Father and to his intercession
for the whole world.”[26] “Christ
unites us with his Passover: all his members must strive to resemble him, ‘until
Christ be formed’ in them (cf. Gal 4:19). ‘For this reason, we … are taken up into the
mysteries of his life, … associated with his sufferings as the body with its
head, suffering with him, that with him we may be glorified’.”[27] Christ and his Church thus together make up
the “whole Christ” (Christus totus).[28] “The Church is called the (mystical) Body of Christ
because of the intimate communion which Jesus shares with his disciples; the
metaphor of a body, whose head is Christ and whose members are the faithful,
provides an image which keeps in focus both the unity and the diversity of the
Church.”[29] “…Through the anointing of his Spirit who
flows from the head to the members, [God] makes us other ‘Christs’.”[30] “Christian, recognize your dignity and, now
that you share in God’s own nature, do not return to your former base condition
by sinning. Remember who is your head
and of whose body you are a member. Never
forget that you have been rescued from the power of darkness and brought into
the light of the Kingdom of God’ (St. Leo the Great, Sermo 21 in nat. Dom., 3: PL 54, 192C).”[31]
The Eucharist is also the sacrifice of the
Church. The Church which is the Body of Christ participates in the offering
of her Head. With him, she herself is
offered whole and entire. She unites
herself to his intercession with the Father for all men. In the Eucharist, the sacrifice of Christ
becomes also the sacrifice of the members of his Body. The lives of the faithful, their praise,
sufferings, prayer, and work, are united with those of Christ and with his
total offering, and so acquire a new value. Christ’s sacrifice present on the altar makes
it possible for all generations of Christians to be united with his offering. In the catacombs, the Church is often
represented as a woman in prayer, arms outstretched in the praying position. Like Christ who stretched out his arms on the
cross, through him, with him, and in him, she offers herself and intercedes for
all men.[32] In this, we see the need to be conformed to
the image of Christ, because we are part and parcel of the Body of Christ. Therefore, we pray that Christ do this for
us. We cannot do it ourselves. He must do it, and then we act. This is accomplished through the Church, with
the Church, and in the Church, making it possible for us to love God with all
our heart, mind, soul, and strength and to love our neighbor as ourselves.
The Mass is
one long prayer, with blessings attached.
In the Mass, we see God bringing our passage to fruition. The
Lord is near to all who call upon him, to all who call upon him in truth. He fulfills the desire of all who fear him; he
also hears their cry, and saves them. The
Lord preserves all who love him. As
a result of our desire and God giving it to us, others will come to the
knowledge of Christ.
[1] Catholic Biblical Association (Great Britain), The Holy Bible:
Revised Standard Version, Catholic Edition, (New York: National Council
of Churches of Christ in the USA, 1994), Ps 145:18–19.
[2] Ibid., Ps 145:20.
[3] Ibid., Ps 37:4.
[4] Ibid., Jas 1:7–8.
[5] Ibid., Lk 16:25.
[6] Leo the Great, Leo
the Great, Gregory the Great, 1895, 12a, 151–152.
[7] Augustine of Hippo, Saint Augustin: Expositions on the Book of Psalms, 1888, 8,
660–661.
[8] Catholic Biblical Association (Great Britain), The Holy Bible:
Revised Standard Version, Catholic Edition, (New York: National
Council of Churches of Christ in the USA, 1994), Jas 1:2–4.
[9] Ibid., Jas 1:12.
[10] Ibid., Jn 14:13–14.
[11] Augustine of Hippo, Saint Augustin: Expositions on the Book of Psalms, 1888, 8, 661.
[13] Augustine of Hippo, Saint Augustin: Expositions on the Book of Psalms, 1888, 8, 661.
[14] Catholic Biblical Association (Great Britain), The Holy Bible:
Revised Standard Version, Catholic Edition, (New York: National
Council of Churches of Christ in the USA, 1994), Lk 22:31–32.
[15] Ibid., Lk 22:33.
[16] Ibid., Mt 26:75.
[17] Ibid., Mt 27:3–4.
[18] Ibid., Mt 27:5.
[19] Ibid., Sir 5:1–2.
[20] Ibid., Jas 1:5.
[21] Ibid., Heb 11:6.
[22] Ibid., Lk 13:24.
[23] Ibid., Eph 6:1–3.
[24] Ibid., Lk 13:24–25.
[25] Catholic Church, Catechism of the
Catholic Church, 2nd Ed., (Washington, DC: United States
Catholic Conference, 2000), 59.
[26] Ibid., 195.
[27] Ibid., 209–210.
[28] Ibid., 210.
[29] Ibid., 868.
[30] Ibid., 667.
[31] Ibid., 421.
[32] Ibid., 344.
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