Isaiah 49: 8-15
Thus says the Lord:
In a time of favor I have answered you,
on a day of salvation I have helped you;
I have kept you and given you
as a covenant to the people,
to establish the land,
to apportion the desolate heritages;
saying to the prisoners, ‘Come out’,
to those who are in darkness, ‘Show yourselves.’
They shall feed along the ways,
on all the bare heights shall be their pasture;
they shall not hunger or thirst,
neither scorching wind nor sun shall strike them down,
for he who has pity on them will lead them,
and by springs of water will guide them.
And I will turn all my mountains into a road,
and my highways shall be raised up.
Lo, these shall come from far away,
and lo, these from the north and from the west,
and these from the land of Syene.
Sing for joy, O heavens, and exult, O earth;
break forth, O mountains, into singing!
For the Lord has comforted his people,
and will have compassion on his suffering ones.
But Zion said, ‘The Lord has forsaken me,
my Lord has forgotten me.’
Can a woman forget her nursing-child,
or show no compassion for the child of her womb?
Even these may forget,
yet I will not forget you.
New Revised Standard Version, copyright 1989, by the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved. USCCB approved.
I Will Never Forget You
“Can a mother forget… the child of her womb?” Sadly, there are many mothers who forget the child growing within them. And there are many of us who forget the poor and undocumented among us. We humans can have very short memories. Thank God that God is God and does not forget us!
Pope Francis reminds us again and again that we are the ones who give up on ourselves, each other, and on God. But God never gives up on us. He is forever near to those who call upon him. This we need to remember. For when we know deep in our bones that we are loved unconditionally and irrevocably, it changes our fear into trust, our judgements into acceptance. It changes Everything, Everywhere All At Once. And that is worth more than a lifetime of Oscars!
So right now, take a few deep breaths, travel deep inside and check your spiritual heartbeat. If you have a few extra minutes, pray with this meditative song found here.
—Fr. J. Michael Sparough, SJ, is a retreat master, writer, and spiritual director at Bellarmine Jesuit Retreat House in Barrington, Illinois. His daily video reflections can be viewed here.
Prayer
The LORD is gracious and merciful,
slow to anger and of great kindness.
The LORD is good to all
and compassionate toward all his works.
The LORD is just in all his ways
and holy in all his works.
The LORD is near to all who call upon him,
to all who call upon him in truth.
—Psalm 145: 8-9, 17-18