THE ETERNAL QUESTION?

 THE FAMILY ALTAR

August 29.

"Let, I pray Thee, Thy merciful kindness be for my comfort,

according to Thy word unto Thy servant." Ps. 119:76.

In this world of sin and sorrow we need nothing more than

this comfort for which David here prays so fervently, saying : "Thy

merciful kindness be for my comfort." We need it every day and

hour. God's mercy alone can comfort us when our sins oppress

and our conscience accuses us. All penances, all prayers to the

saints, all vows and sacrifices avail nothing here. "Could my zeal

no respite know, could my tears forever flow, all for sin could not

atone," God's mercy alone can save and does save by forgiving

sin for Jesus' sake, who is our only Mediator between the holy

God and us. And as in the sorrow over sin, so in the manifold

trials of life we need the comfort of God's merciful kindness.

What "miserable comforters" Job's short-sighted friends proved to

be in his great affliction! But, oh! it was heavenly comfort for

his agonizing soul when in joyful faith he could exclaim: "I know

that my Redeemer liveth!" We must all through much tribulation

enter into the kingdom of God. We may be spared great affliction

at present; but we do not know what painful trials we shall have

to endure before life's journey ends. Oh, if we could not trust

in the merciful kindness of our God to protect and sustain us in

the severest trials, how comfortless we should be ! And when we

stand weeping at the graves of our departed loved ones, when we

think of our own last hour, what comfort has the world to offer

us then ? None ! It can only add thorns to our grief with its

vain pleasures and vainer wisdom. God's merciful kindness alone

can and does dry our tears at the death of dear friends or at our

own death; it dries them with its divine comfort of our victory

over death and of life everlasting in heaven with our reunited

loved ones because of our Savior's glorious resurrection from the

dead. May God's merciful kindness prove our unfailing comfort

in sin and sorrow, in life and death, for Jesus' sake ! Amen.

My blessed Lord, what bliss to feel Thee near,

Faithful and true;

To trust in Thee, without one doubt or fear,

Thy will to do;

And all the while to know that Thou, our Friend,

Art blessing us, and wilt bless to the end.