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Date: Fri, 25 Jun 2010 04:31:31 +0000
Subject: [Your Daily Tripod] Digest for
your-daily-tripod@googlegroups.com - 1 Message in 1 Topic
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- How Could We Sing a Song of the Lord in a Foreign Land? (June 25) [1 Update]
http://groups.google.com/group/your-daily-tripod/t/95a88f106a30d6d5
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Topic: How Could We Sing a Song of the Lord in a Foreign Land? (June 25)
Url: http://groups.google.com/group/your-daily-tripod/t/95a88f106a30d6d5
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From: "dxfaro@cox.net" <dxfaro@cox.net>
Date: Jun 24 06:45PM -0700
Url: http://groups.google.com/group/your-daily-tripod/msg/cce3c82c006fc0e2
Friday of the Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time
By Melanie Rigney
On the seventh day of the fifth month (this was in the nineteenth year
of Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon), Nebuzaradan, captain of the
bodyguard, came to Jerusalem as the representative of the king of
Babylon. He burned the house of the LORD, the palace of the king, and
all the houses of Jerusalem; every large building was destroyed by
fire. Then the Chaldean troops who were with the captain of the guard
tore down the walls that surrounded Jerusalem. Then Nebuzaradan,
captain of the guard, led into exile the last of the people remaining
in the city, and those who had deserted to the king of Babylon, and
the last of the artisans. But some of the country's poor, Nebuzaradan,
captain of the guard, left behind as vinedressers and farmers. (2
Kings 25:8-12)
By the rivers of Babylon we sat mourning and weeping when we
remembered Zion. On the poplars of that land we hung up our harps.
There our captors asked us for the words of a song; Our tormentors,
for a joyful song: "Sing for us a song of Zion!" But how could we sing
a song of the LORD in a foreign land? (Psalms 137:1-4)
When Jesus came down from the mountain, great crowds followed him. And
then a leper approached, did him homage, and said, "Lord, if you wish,
you can make me clean." He stretched out his hand, touched him, and
said, "I will do it. Be made clean." His leprosy was cleansed
immediately. (Matthew 8:1-3)
Piety
Lord, help me to always sing Your song, even when I believe You have
deserted me.
Study
There the Israelites were in Babylon, mourning the loss of their city
and homes and belongings as outlined in today's first reading. And
their conquerors ask for a song of Zion. Perhaps the Babylonians saw
this as torture; perhaps they didn't understand the meaning behind the
songs they called joyful. Whether the insult was intended or not,
imagine the anger and resentment they felt.
While we may not be exiled physically, as Christians we may find
ourselves feeling that way at work or in some social settings. It's
easy to sing the Lord's song when we're in community or in other
Christ-friendly environments. It can be far harder to talk about what
faith means to us—our belief in the Resurrection and the life
thereafter, our confidence in a loving God and His call to love others—
when someone we view as a tormentor rather than a brother or sister in
Christ pushes our buttons. Maybe it's when someone asks on Ash
Wednesday, "Are you Catholic or something?" Or during Holy Week, when
someone quirks an eyebrow and says, "So you really believe he came
back from the dead?" Or when the latest in the seemingly unending
barrage of new pedophilic crimes by the ordained is in the news and
someone asks, "How can you be part of that Church?"
Christ doesn't call us to sit around and weep and lick our wounds and
mope when we face a challenge. He calls to stand up for ourselves—and
for Him—in a loving, not confrontational manner. We can face our
tormentors because He is beside us, always.
Action
Give someone who challenges your faith the benefit of the doubt.
Behind the attitude may be the beginnings of belief.
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