Memorial of St. Claude de la Colombiere, S.J. Genesis 9:1-13 Psalms 102:16-18, 19-21, 29 and 22-23 Mark 8:27-33

Weekly Guide for Daily Prayer

In the midst of trouble, it’s comforting to have a friend that we can count on, and to know that no matter how difficult the struggle, they’re right by our side. We don’t have to worry about them letting us down or breaking their promise. Many years ago, a promise consisted of a mutual agreement between parties to act on something simply by a hand shake or by word of mouth. One can be assured that God has never broken his promise.

In Genesis 9:1-13, God confirms with Noah the covenant he made between himself and all mortal creatures that lived upon the earth. This passage shows God blessing Noah and his sons by admonishing them to “Be fertile and multiply and fill the earth. This took place after God had destroyed the earth by a flood because of rampant sin. God made a way for Noah, his family and all of the animals that were gathered together on the Ark to survive the flood. God said to Noah and his sons that he was establishing a covenant with him and his descendants and all of the living creatures that he will never again destroy the earth by waters of the flood. Isn’t it wonderful to see God work even in the darkest hours and shine his marvelous light upon our lives, and keep his promises?

God always wants the best for us. We must realize our moments of weakness, but that God is forever strong. We can take all of our burdens, put them in a box, seal it tight, and leave them with God. In Psalms 102, we have the prayer of the afflicted, showing an overwhelming need to pour out a complaint before the Lord. There is a cry for help to the Lord. The prayer is begging God not to turn his face away from us, but to hear our cry for help. The prayer also acknowledges that God shall endure forever, and that where we may be torn down, that God is able to rebuild us.

God confirms his love for us by sending his son, Jesus Christ. He constantly blesses us so that we might bless others. The ultimate goal is that souls can see God for themselves. In Mark 8, Jesus had been ministering to the great crowds of followers for three days without food to eat. Jesus being moved with compassion for the people, performed a great miracle by taking just a few fish and a few loaves of bread to feed about 4,000 people. He then retired with his disciples to the other side of the shore and began sharing with them about the rejection, humiliation, and even death that he would suffer as a payment for all of our sins, so that we might be saved. Jesus wanted to make sure that his disciples knew him for themselves. We thank God for rebuilding and restoring our lives so that we may be more like him.