THE LORD WAITS
Scripture: Isaiah 30:18 (Living Bible) "Yet the Lord still waits for you to
come to Him, so He can show you His love."
The Lord is a wonderful counselor, yet Israel consulted with everyone except God
when they needed help and then ended up rebelling against Him. They yoked
themselves with unbelievers and made a decision to go against the desires of
God. Instead of depending upon God to help them in their battle, they went to
Egypt to find aid and they put their trust in Pharaoh and his swift horses.
Yet, God was still gracious to them and waited for them to return to Him so that
He could show them His love.
This is a picture of a loving Father who never gives up on His children. Just
as the Lord watched Israel, He sees us as we gather unwise counsel, and He warns
us that our hearts are deceitful above all things (Jeremiah 17:19). The Lord
sees us when we join ourselves with those who are not our equal and His heart
aches as He watches us being subtly led astray by their words and deeds. God
knows that our enemy seeks to devour us, but God is limited by our own attitudes
and actions. Yet, in the midst of our rebellion, He continues to leave the door
wide open and waits for us to repent and return to Him because He is faithful
and He loves us so much.
When we leave God's path and begin to experience the bread of adversity and the
water of affliction, He still hears our cries and He answers us. He never
leaves us without comfort. In the midst of hardship and pain, verse twenty
tells us that He allows us to see Him as Teacher with our own eyes. Some of the
most important lessons of life are learned in the hardest of places. The
psalmist said, "Before I was afflicted, I went astray" (Psalms 119:67). The
psalmist was saying that affliction brings us back to the feet of our Master.
In the most difficult times, we discover that God is there to tell us whether we
should go to the left or to the right. We don't have to second-guess the
situation. All we have to do is depend upon Him for directions. He said that
we would hear His Voice behind us saying, "This is the way; walk in it." It is
comforting to know that God is on our side; that He is for us, not against us.
He is patiently waiting for us to return so that He can show us His love." +++
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May 31st - SS Cantius, & Comp., Martyrs
Died May 31, c. 304. Two brothers, Cantius and Cantianus, along with their
sister Cantianella, were members of an illustrious Roman family, the Anicii, and
near relations of the Emperor Carinus, who supported the Christians in Gaul.
They were orphaned but their tutor or guardian, a man named Protus, happened to
be a Christian and taught them the faith.
When the persecution under Emperor Diocletian started, the three orphans and
their guardian decided on flight. Before leaving Rome they sold their home and
possessions. Apart from what they needed for their journey, they gave the
proceeds to the poor. Then the fugitives attempted to escape to their estate in
Aquilea. They were pursued and captured at a place called Aquae Gradatae.
General Sisinnius and Governor Dulcidius had no problem dealing with the rank
and file confessor, but felt obliged to consult with Emperor Diocletian
regarding the disposition of personages of so great a family. Diocletian ordered
that they should be beheaded if they refused to offer sacrifice to the civic
gods. Although all four knew that the penalty for holding fast to Christianity
would be death, not one agreed to make a sacrifice to the pagan gods. They were
all beheaded. Zoelus, a priest, honorably embalmed and buried their bodies in
the same monument. The of Aquae-Gradatae has been changed to San Cantiano. Their
acts are genuine, published by Mabillon in an appendix to his Gallican Liturgy.
The panegyric preached in their honor by Saint Maximus of Turin is extant
(Benedictines, Bentley, Husenbeth).
This group is represented in art as two youths, a girl, and their tutor with a
staff and *****. Sometimes there picture may show (1) a sword; (2) them fleeing
in a chariot, beheaded before an idol; or (3) with palms and sword, Protus is
depicted as a bishop. They are the patrons of children, and venerated in
Aquileia (Roeder).
Saint Quote:
"The Lord well knows how to console the solitary [lonely] soul, and will give a
thousand-fold compensation for all the temporal pleasures which it has
forfeited: He will render its solitude a garden of His delights. There joy and
gladness shall be always found, and nothing shall be heard but the voice of
thanksgiving and praise to the divine goodness."
-St. Alphonsus de Liguori (Doctor, 1696-1787) - "The True Spouse of Jesus
Christ"
Bible Quotes:
"The Lord therefore will comfort Sion ... and he will make her desert as a place
of pleasure, and her wilderness as the garden of the Lord. Joy and gladness
shall be found therein, thanksgiving, and the voice of praise" - Isaias 51:3
"I will lead her into the wilderness: and I will speak to her heart." Osee 2:14
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If Jesus came to your house.
If Jesus came to your home to spend a day or two-
If He came unexpectedly, I wonder what you'd do.
Oh, I know You'd give your nicest room to such an honored Guest,
And you would keep assuring Him you're glad to have him there-
That serving Him in your home is joy beyond compare.
But-when you saw Him coming would you meet Him at the door
With arms outstretched in welcome to your Heav'nly Visitor?
Or would you have to change your clothes be fore you let Him in,
Or hide some magazines, and put the Bible where they'd been?
Would you turn off the radio and hope he hadn't heard,
And wish you hadn't uttered that last, loud, hasty word?
Would you hide your worldly music and put some hymn books out?
Could you let Jesus walk right in, or would you rush about?
And I wonder-if the Savior spent a day or two with you,
Would you go on doing the things you always do?
Would you go on saying the things you al ways say?
Would life for you continue as it does from day to day?
Would your family conversation keep its usual pace,
And would you find it hard each meal to say table grace?
Would you sing the songs you always sing,
and read the books you read,
And let Him know the things on which your mind and
spirit feed?
Would you take Jesus everywhere you'd planned to go,
Or would you, maybe, change your plans for just a day or so?
Would you be glad to have Him meet your very closest friends,
Or would you hope they stay away until His visit ends?
Would you be glad to have Him stay forever on and on,
Or would you sigh with great relief when He at last was gone?
It might be interesting to know the things that you would do.
If Jesus came in person to spend some time with you.
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