disastrous
"He Who has brought disaster upon you will, in saving you, bring you back enduring joy." —Baruch 4:29
Most people have suffered disasters in their lives. Some of these have been caused by our own sins. If we would seek the Lord ten times more zealously than we strayed from Him, He would save us from disaster and bring us back a joy that this time will last (Bar 4:28).
The Lord turns all things, even disasters, to the good for those who love Him (Rm 8:28). If we repent and seek the Lord, we will understand that the sufferings of the present are "nothing compared with the glory to be revealed in us" (Rm 8:18). We may go forth weeping, but we'll come back rejoicing (Ps 126:6). The Lord will change our mourning into dancing, our sackcloth into robes of gladness (Ps 30:12), and our darkness into dawn (Ps 30:6). The Lord turned Job's many disasters into double blessings. "The Lord even gave to Job twice as much as he had before" (Job 42:10). God the Father turned the ultimate disaster of His Son's death on the cross to the ultimate joy of His resurrection from the dead.
Disaster, sin, and death do not have to be the final words. Joy, salvation, and life will reign supreme for those who have given their lives to Jesus.
Prayer: Father, I trust You even in the worst circumstances of my life.
Promise: "Jesus rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said: 'I offer You praise, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because what You have hidden from the learned and the clever You have revealed to the merest children.' " —Lk 10:21
Praise: St. Bruno gave up the opportunity to live a highly visible life as an archbishop in order to pursue the quiet, humble life of living in a hermitage.
Nihil Obstat: Reverend Robert A. Stricker, May 8, 2001
Imprimatur: †Most Reverend Carl K. Moeddel, Vicar General and Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, May 18, 2001