wars and all conflicts will cease. If we listen carefully, we can hear the Lord whispering a word that will bring our restless fight to a peaceful resolution.
5. We live in the City of God.
Even in the chaos and violence of the world, we can look to the City of God, where we hope to live for all eternity. We begin our communion in the heavenly city even now, as members of the Church founded by Jesus Christ.
This Week’s Call to Action
When we are struggling with loss, illness, division, sin, or pride, and when the world and its institutions are crumbling before our very eyes, we can rest in the perfect truth that God forever remains our refuge and our strength. This week, strive to find your steady place in the midst of life’s storms. Find ways to invite the power and presence of God into the chaos of life. Spend time with your Father, talking about your fears and struggles.
Knowing that God brings good out of our trusting surrender — not just for us, but for everyone in our lives — helps us to move forward along the stream of salvation to the place where all the noise and clamor of life will give way to the voice of our Savior calling us home. This week, let surrender guide your steps every day. Allow God’s eternal will to draw you closer to Christ and his Church. Reflect on the future happiness to which you are called by your faith in Jesus, and let God show you the role he wants you to play in bringing souls to this same happiness.
Sunday
This week, we will consider God’s faithfulness in our lives, no matter the circumstances we face. God remains a rock of refuge who causes the battles of our lives to give way to peace and surrender. God has a heavenly city in store for all who follow him. As believers, we live within that city right now. God loves his people, and that love shines before us to light our way and manifests itself perfectly in the life of the Church, leading us on to our heavenly inheritance.
This Sunday at Mass, listen for the conflicts in the story of salvation, the struggles the People of God faced. As you celebrate the Eucharist, remember that Jesus went to the cross to bring us salvation and to complete our story. Pray about this story, thank God for the good he has done for humanity from the beginning, the good he has done in your life, and the good that is to come when Jesus returns to judge the living and the dead. Let these awesome truths guide you as you go forth to love others and leave a legacy of faith for all the world to see.
Questions for reflection
When in your life have you seen most clearly that God was your rock?
What chaos and upheavals in the world (and your small part of it) cause you the most distress, and how can you draw nearer to God for support and hope?
Praying with Scripture
“The salvation of the righteous is from the Lord; / he is their refuge in the time of trouble” (Ps 37:39).
Monday
The Shaking of the Earth Does Not Shake God
In you, O Lord, I seek refuge;
let me never be put to shame;
in your righteousness deliver me!
Incline your ear to me,
rescue me speedily!
Be a rock of refuge for me,
a strong fortress to save me!
Yes, you are my rock and my fortress;
for your name’s sake lead me and guide me,
take me out of the net which is hidden for me,
for you are my refuge.
Into your hand I commit my spirit;
you have redeemed me, O Lord, faithful God.
Psalm 31:1–5
Trials and earthshaking tribulations do not shake the Lord, who is our rock of refuge. Though this world is full of sin and falsehood, acts of evil and human misery, God remains our deliverer and our stronghold. He cannot be moved by the forces that work to undermine the Church and our freedom in Christ. Yet his heart is moved by compassion and mercy to rescue his people from the persecution of enemies and the worship of worthless idols. God knows our distress and lifts us up, guiding us into the kingdom of his Son.
We know all too well that our lives can be shaken by the smallest difficulties. When we feel oppressed and distressed, we can be confident that we have refuge in the One who always remains the same. Our confidence is an integral part of what it means to be men who leave a lasting legacy. How we rest on the rock-solid promises of Christ leaves a powerful example for those around us, particularly our children and our family of faith. It stands as a testimony of the strength and faithfulness of our good God.
Questions for reflection
What are some of the trials you face (or see) that trouble you the most?
When have you experienced God’s strength and guidance in the midst of trials?
How can you share the strength of Jesus Christ with another who is struggling today?
Praying with Scripture
“For who is God, but the Lord? And who is a rock, except our God?” (2 Sm 22:32).
Tuesday
God’s Presence Remains Rock-steady
And the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead them along the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, that they might travel by day and by night; the pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night did not depart from before the people.
Exodus 13:21–22
God remains ever-present in the midst of chaos and disaster. Our all-powerful Savior goes before the Church, guiding her in strength toward the promised land. He is our beacon of hope, our powerful protector, by day and night. He will never fail nor forsake his people.
No matter what we face in our individual lives or as members of the Body of Christ, we know that God is with us. He will see us through this journey of salvation until the day we share our lives with him forever in heaven. His strength, his Spirit, his light, and his love become ours as we carry on the legacy of other faithful followers who have shown forth the presence of God through their lives. Let us remember that God will keep us from falling and lift us to heights of joy. He will remain our rock of refuge forever!
Questions for reflection
Where do you experience God’s guiding presence in your life and in the life of the Church?
How does the knowledge that God will neither leave nor forsake you give you strength and hope?
How
