Fear Not 220

Beloved brethren in Christ, hear the words of the Psalmist as from the lips of the ancient seers: 'The LORD has done great things for us, and we rejoiced' (Psalm 126:3). In the historical captivity of Zion, when Nebuchadnezzar bore away the sons of Judah to Babylon, the faithful wept by the rivers, hanging their harps upon the willows. Yet the Lord, through Cyrus the Persian as His anointed instrument, turned again their captivity, and they returned with songs of ascent. As St. Augustine expounds in his Enarrations on the Psalms, this was no mere political deliverance but a figure of the soul's liberation from the tyranny of sin and the devil's dominion. The great things wrought by the Lord are the mysteries of our redemption: the Incarnation, the Cross, and the Resurrection, wherein He who led captivity captive bestowed gifts upon men. St. John Chrysostom, in his homilies on the Psalms, declares that true rejoicing springs not from earthly restoration but from the spiritual ascent wherein the Church, like Israel of old, passes from the shadow of exile into the light of grace. The Catena of the Fathers teaches us that this verse echoes the joy of the redeemed at the heavenly Zion, where the Lord has multiplied His mercies beyond the return from Babylon, granting us adoption as sons and the pledge of eternal glory. Let us therefore not murmur in present trials but rejoice with the apostles and martyrs, for He who has done great things for Israel has done greater still for the new Israel, the Church. In this unplugged reflection, turn from worldly distractions and fix your heart upon these mercies, that your sorrow may be turned into joy as the sower goes forth weeping yet returns with sheaves. #FearNot220 #FearNotUNPLUGGED #204of220 #Catholic