Love righteousness, you rulers of the earth, think of the Lord in goodness and seek him with sincerity of heart; because he is found by those who do not put him to the test, and manifests himself to those who do not distrust him. For perverse thoughts separate people from God, and when his power is tested, it exposes the foolish;because wisdom will not enter a deceitful soul, or dwell in a body enslaved to sin. For a holy and disciplined spirit will flee from deceit, and will leave foolish thoughts behind, and will be ashamed at the approach of unrighteousness.
For wisdom is a kindly spirit, but will not free blasphemers from the guilt of their words; because God is witness of their inmost feelings, and a true observer of their hearts, and a hearer of their tongues. Because the spirit of the Lord has filled the world, and that which holds all things together knows what is said, therefore those who utter unrighteous things will not escape notice, and justice, when it punishes, will not pass them by. For inquiry will be made into the counsels of the ungodly, and a report of their words will come to the Lord, to convict them of their lawless deeds; because a jealous ear hears all things, and the sound of grumbling does not go unheard. Beware then of useless grumbling, and keep your tongue from slander; because no secret word is without result, and a lying mouth destroys the soul.
Do not invite death by the error of your life, or bring on destruction by the works of your hands;because God did not make death, and he does not delight in the death of the living. For he created all things so that they might exist; the generative forces of the world are wholesome, and there is no destructive poison in them, and the dominion of Hades is not on earth. For righteousness is immortal.
But the ungodly by their words and deeds summoned death; considering him a friend, they pined away and made a covenant with him, because they are fit to belong to his company.
Commentary
How often has it been revealed to us, the least and the last as we are, that our brothers and sisters who have been summoned from this world should not be mourned in any ordinary way? How frequently, how manifestly the Lord has commanded us to bear constant witness that the dead are not “lost” in any sense but simply called by God before we are. We are to proclaim that we are all travelers, voyagers, toward something supremely worth longing for. Those who have arrived before we do are not to be lamented except that we miss their earthly presence. Why would one wear dark-colored clothing on earth when they have put on white robes in the Kingdom and stand before God? We too, long to be there. We mustn’t give non-believers reason to criticize us for acting in a way inconsistent with what we proclaim we believe!
Those who have no faith often believe that the dead are lost and gone forever. We lie about our hope and our faith if we seem to act as though we too had lost them in that way. There would be no gain if we declared our virtues only in words and didn’t act them out in truth and deeds. In a certain sense, St. Paul rebukes and blames those Christians who are sorrowful at the death of dear ones. Listen to his words: “We wouldn’t have you ignorant about those who are asleep in death. Don’t be sorrowful like those who don’t have any hope. If we believe that Jesus died, and yet rose again, it is the same for those who have fallen asleep in Jesus; God will bring them with Him to new
life.”
We live in hope; we believe in God and have faith that Christ suffered for us and then rose again. We abide in Christ and so we rise again through Christ. Why, then, should we be unwilling to leave this world? But if we are willing then why do we mourn and grieve for those who have already left? Listen to what Christ says: “I am the resurrection; the one who believes in me, even if dead, shall live. Everyone who believes in me shall never die!” Since we believe in Christ, let’s have faith in his words and promises. We aren’t going to die permanently but will come to Christ in joyful security and with Him conquer death by rising to reign with Him for eternity. A person who will come to the dwelling of Christ, that glory which is the Heavenly Kingdom, has no good reason to grieve and mourn. We are to be ready—with firm faith, with rugged virtue, and with a sound mind for every way in which God makes known to us his will. We have been freed from the terror of death that afflicts others. We think of the immortality that follows earthly death. It is a matter of showing by our actions what we believe. When God summons us then we will answer his call without hesitation and be filled with gladness. What is better than to come to the Lord at his call? The same is true for our loved ones. It is a matter of how we think of them and ourselves. The gift of faith teaches us how to think about death and how to answer every call that comes from our Lord.(St. Cyprian of Carthage)
Musical Selection
The perfect wisdom of our God, revealed in all the universe: All things created by His hand, and held together at His command. He knows the mysteries of the seas, the secrets of the stars are His; He guides the planets on their way, and turns the earth thru another day.
The matchless wisdom of His ways that mark the path of righteousness; His word a lamp unto my feet, His Spirit teaching and guiding me. And oh, the mystery of the cross, that God should suffer for the lost, So that the fool might shame the wise and all the glory might go to Christ.
O grant me wisdom from above, to pray for peace and cling to love, And teach me humbly to receive the sun and rain of Your sov’reignty. Each strand of sorrow has a place within this tapestry of grace; So through the trials I choose to say, “Your perfect will in Your perfect way.”
Collect
God of majesty, we make this heartfelt prayer: that the nearer we come to the great feast of our salvation, the more fervently we may prepare ourselves to celebrate the paschal mystery. Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God for ever and ever. Amen.