Psalm 62: “In you alone is my soul at rest. My help comes from you.”

It sounds exaggerated and we could dismiss it as just another example of religious hyperbole. “In God alone is my soul at rest; from God comes my help. God alone is my rock, my stronghold, my fortress; I stand firm” (Ps 61/62: 1-2).

In reality we find our rest, comfort, peace with friends or family; our help, too, comes from their support, from doctors, medicine, possibly even from the words of a stranger written in a book. It doesn't seem simply to come from God alone. Yet, when we put the help and support of all these along with God we must admit that they can fail, through no fault of their own -- or through their own fault.

A friend can end a relationship; a dispute can take away support; illness, incapacity and death can remove our earthly “rock” from us, no matter how faithful she has been. There is some point to giving our pure attention to God, apart from all those who mediate that grace and goodness to us.

“God alone is my rock, my stronghold, my fortress; I stand firm.”

Psalm 27: “I believe I shall see the Lord’s goodness / in the land of the living.
Wait for the Lord; be strong; / be stouthearted, and wait for the Lord!”

Reply to Fr. Don at: DTalafous@csbsju.edu

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