Saturday, February 6, 2021
Fallen Sparks
But the souls of the just are in the hand of God, and no torment shall touch them. They seemed, in the view of the foolish, to be dead; and their passing away was thought an affliction and their going forth from us, utter destruction. But they are in peace. For if before people, indeed, they be punished, yet is their hope full of immortality; chastised a little, they shall be greatly blessed, because God tried them and found them worthy of himself. As gold in the furnace, he proved them, and as sacrificial offerings he took them to himself. In the time of their visitation they shall shine, and shall dart about as sparks through stubble; they shall judge nations and rule over peoples, and the Lord shall be their King forever. Those who trust in God shall understand truth, and the faithful shall abide with him in love: because grace and mercy are with his holy ones, and God’s care is with the elect.
As we near the end of Psalm 119 and drink in the message, we begin to understand the wisdom brought to us in sacred Scripture; we experience more fully God’s grace and mercy; and we begin to understand God’s deep and abiding love for even the smallest of the fallen sparks of life.
Nun: The Messiah – Jesus comes to serve as light in an unforgiving darkness and so are we called to bring that same light to a world that waits and watches. This is God’s promise: Christ will always rescue us.
Samekh: The Endless Cycle – Like this circular letter, Christ is beginning and end, Alpha and Omega, source and summit for all. We are called by the Spirit to join in all of creation’s response to God’s call.
Ayin: God’s Providence – We are always in God’s hands although we may not feel it.
Pe: Communication, Revelation of God’s Word – God is constantly revealing the Word to us although we may not comprehend it.
Sadhe: Faith – God’s fidelity saves us although we may not believe it.
Tomorrow, A Prayer for God’s grace and mercy . . . a Prayer for Fallen Sparks.
For an understanding of why this reading is often heard at funerals, go to: http://catholicsensibility.wordpress.com/2012/02/25/funeral-lectionary-wisdom-31-9/
Image from: http://www.torange.us/Fashion-and-beauty/fireworks/sparks-of-fire-25690.html
The Noontimes 