32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time

“Keep me as the apple of your eye, hide me in the shadow of your wings. But I in justice shall behold your face; on waking I shall be content in your presence.”

The words above, a prayer from today’s responsorial psalm, state very simply and truly the quality of soul possessed by the seven brothers in this morning’s first reading from the Book of Maccabees. It is not their prayer as such, but the liturgy presents it to us as if it were.

Before the abrasive cruelty of the executioners, the seven brothers were able to profess their loyalty to God and God’s law in a manner that completely bewildered their executioners. There was no fear in their hearts. How was this possible before such heartless butchery?

Theirs was an assurance that illustrated quite simply the strength and peace that comes from deep faith in a moment of severe trial. There was gentleness there. And as someone has said, “There is nothing as strong as true gentleness and nothing as gentle as true strength”. We witness that in the presence of these seven brothers, all the way to the youngest.

I think we can all attest to that from the experiences of our own lives. I am sure we have all known moments of a quiet certitude within difficult situations that sustains us with an assurance that “All will be well. All manner of things will be well”.

There is nothing arrogant about our hope and assurance. It is already a part of the power of the Resurrection of Christ that is here among us. We don’t have to wait till we die to experience something of that mysterious power. Faith conquers death, even when we die daily.

Allow me to evoke some of the quiet trust in the prayer.

“Keep me as the apple of your eye”.
The tenderness! The intimacy and trust of those words! There is a childlike desire to be held in the loving gaze of the one I pray to.

“Hide me in the shadow of your wings”.
Hold me close. Protect me from those who seek to harm me.

“In justice I shall behold your face; on waking I shall be content in your presence”.
Again, beholding the face! That reflection of love that comes to us as we gaze on the one who loves us!
Is there anything else I need or desire?

This little verse from the responsorial psalm brings into relief the whole drift of today’s reading from the Old and New Testaments. It says it in words that transcend the violence of the king in the first reading. It affirms the words of Paul in the second reading, and it anticipates the childlike, assured vision of Christ that we honour a God of the living and not of the dead.

Frank Gerry SVD