“Let your hearts take comfort, all who hope in the Lord.” 

In the first reading from Hebrews we are told of the prophets of old who were faithful and overcame challenges in their faith. It did not always end well for them, some were tortured and martyred. So their reward came in the next world, not this one. They can be seen as an inspiration for us who are uncertain and frightened about the times we live in. We can take comfort that others were also uncertain and were frightened but remained faithful; others came before us who had to overcome impossible obstacles and who were persecuted. Because of their sacrifice we have a role model and inspiration.

“Let your hearts take comfort, all who hope in the Lord.”

The psalm indicates that the Lord will protect and comfort the faithful, will hide them from their enemies and from evil doers. Our role models from the Old Testament remained faithful under awful circumstances, and sometimes paid a terrible price for their actions here on earth. But they did the right thing and did not deny their faith. It’s hard to take comfort, surrounded by evil and hate. But we can hope in the Lord, like the prophets who came before, that a sacrifice can be a positive step, an inspiration, a reward in the next world if not this one.

 “Let your hearts take comfort, all who hope in the Lord.”