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Sirach: 2: 1-11
My son, when you come to serve the LORD,
stand in justice and fear,
prepare yourself for trials.
Be sincere of heart and steadfast,
incline your ear and receive the word of understanding,
undisturbed in time of adversity.
Wait on God, with patience, cling to him, forsake him not;
thus will you be wise in all your ways.
Accept whatever befalls you,
when sorrowful, be steadfast,
and in crushing misfortune be patient;
For in fire gold and silver are tested,
and worthy people in the crucible of humiliation.
Trust God and God will help you;
trust in him, and he will direct your way;
keep his fear and grow old therein.
You who fear the LORD, wait for his mercy,
turn not away lest you fall.
You who fear the LORD, trust him,
and your reward will not be lost.
You who fear the LORD, hope for good things,
for lasting joy and mercy.
You who fear the LORD, love him,
and your hearts will be enlightened.
Study the generations long past and understand;
has anyone hoped in the LORD and been disappointed?
Has anyone persevered in his commandments and been forsaken?
has anyone called upon him and been rebuffed?
Compassionate and merciful is the LORD;
he forgives sins, he saves in time of trouble
and he is a protector to all who seek him in truth.
The Word of the Lord.
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Folded inside the back page of my holy hour journal, is the text of our first reading from the Book of Sirach.
Sirach was written about two hundred years before the birth of Jesus, and is a compilation of Jewish wisdom for all who, in Sirach’s words, desire to, “serve the LORD.”
Ideally, one would spend long hours meditating on his words of wisdom, but I’ll repeat a few lines in the hope that a word or line might speak to you.
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When we seek to serve the Lord, Sirach says:
Prepare yourself for trials.
Be sincere… and receive the word of understanding.
Remain undisturbed in time of adversity.
Wait on God, with patience, cling to him, forsake him not.
Accept whatever befalls you.
In crushing misfortune be patient.’
Above all:
Trust God and God will help you; trust in him, and he will direct your way.
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In the silence of your own prayer, return to these words. Perhaps you, too, will fold them inside your journal and learn them until you begin to live them.
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Image credits: (1) Medium (2) Hillspring Church (3) Covenant House New Orleans