Confidence in Our Creator
O Lord God, who sees that we put not our trust in anything that we do, mercifully grant that by your power we may be defended against all adversity, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
(The Gregorian Sacramentary)
Mark 13:1-8 NRSV
As he came out of the temple, one of his disciples said to him, “Look, Teacher, what large stones and what large buildings!” Then Jesus asked him, “Do you see these great buildings? Not one stone will be left here upon another; all will be thrown down.”
When he was sitting on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter, James, John, and Andrew asked him privately, “Tell us, when will this be, and what will be the sign that all these things are about to be accomplished?” Then Jesus began to say to them, “Beware that no one leads you astray. Many will come in my name and say, ‘I am he!’ and they will lead many astray. When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed; this must take place, but the end is still to come. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; there will be earthquakes in various places; there will be famines. This is but the beginning of the birth pangs.
Augustine of Hippo
“As to wars, when has the earth not been scourged by them at different periods and places? To pass over remote history, when the barbarians were everywhere invading Roman provinces in the reign of Gallienus, how many of our brothers who were then alive do we think could have believed that the end was near, since this happened long after the ascension of the Lord! Thus, we do not know what the nature of those signs will be when the end is really near at hand, if those present ones have not been so foretold that they should at least be understood in the church. Certainly, there are two nations and two kingdoms, namely, one of Christ, the other of the devil.”
(Letter to Hesychius)
Our Father, Creator and Ruler of time and all things visible and invisible,
We see great accomplishments by people around us, but nothing compares to your great works.
People boast of who they are, of what they own, of what they can do, but compared to you they are pitiful and nothing.
We look around us and see “the kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together” (Psalm 2:2), proclaiming that they are to be reckoned with. But we find great comfort in knowing that “He who sits in the heavens shall laugh; the Lord shall hold them in derision” (Psalm 2:4).
So, we rest in the knowledge that You control all things. We rest in the knowledge that You have all power. We rest in your immeasurable love for us.
No matter what comes, we know Who has the final word in all matters, in all circumstances, in all situations.
So, we rest in you, our Sovereign King, through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
Midnight Cry
https://youtu.be/P2J_N1h4Yvs?si=AvMlr9zsk42KS2Mg
If you have found this meditation helpful, take a moment and give thanks to God. Then share what you learned with a friend. This is how the grace of God spreads (2 Corinthians 4.15).
