32 But remember the former days, in which, after you were enlightened, you endured a great struggle with sufferings;33 partly, being exposed to both reproaches and oppressions; and partly, becoming partakers with those who were treated so.34 For you both had compassion on me in my chains, and joyfully accepted the plundering of your possessions, knowing that you have for yourselves a better possession and an enduring one in the heavens.35 Therefore don’t throw away your boldness, which has a great reward.36 For you need endurance so that, having done the will of God, you may receive the promise.
37 “In a very little while, he who comes will come, and will not wait. 38 But the righteous will live by faith. If he shrinks back, my soul has no pleasure in him.”
39 But we are not of those who shrink back to destruction, but of those who have faith to the saving of the soul.
Commentary
In his letter to the Hebrews the Apostle says that they need endurance to do God’s will and obtain what he has promised. The only thing they have to endure is delay; there is no need for a renewed struggle. He means they are on the very threshold of victory; they have undergone all the contests, they have suffered imprisonment, affliction, and confiscation of their possessions, until finally here they stand awaiting their reward, with nothing but this delay still to be endured before they receive it. These words are a great encouragement. One could imagine them spoken to an athlete who has overthrown all contestants, and then, when it comes to being crowned, cannot wait for the arrival of the judge to place the wreath on his brow. Impatience makes him want to run away, as if the heat and thirst are no longer bearable. The Apostle hints at this in his next words, when he says:In a little while he who is to come will be here; he will not delay.So then, the waiting in itself brings no small reward.
Again he quotes:The righteous shall live by faith; no one who shrinks back in fear can please me.This is an exhortation and warning to those who have won through to the end that a moment’s carelessness can still lose them everything.But,he continues,we are not among those who shrink back and are lost; we have the faith that leads to life.These words were addressed to the Hebrews in the first place, but may equally well be used to encourage many of those gathered here, when they are downcast and tempted to lose heart. People are often troubled and find it hard to endure the sight of the wicked flourishing when they themselves are not succeeding. They long for vengeance and punishment to be inflicted on sinners, and to be rewarded far their own pains. And then it is that the Apostle speaks his words of comfort:In a little while he who is to come will be here; he will not delay. (John Chrysostom)
The writer of the Letter to the Hebrews then goes on, emphasizing the “joy that enabled you to bear all things”, to a point when “all seemed meagre in those former days, and one went forth with enthusiasm”. The Letter exhorts us not to abandon that courage — namely ‘this honesty’ — that parrhesìa of those former days. It is indeed that “first love” which made grow within us that courage, that ‘let’s go on!’, that enthusiasm. The call, however, is to not abandon honesty. But, “abandon” is not even the right word, if we go to the original text we find a powerful expression: “Do not throw away, do not waste, do not reject honesty”. It is like a rejection: do not push away this honesty, this courage, the courage of the former days. This is why memory is so important, to remember the grace received. Indeed, if we push away this enthusiasm which comes from our memory of that first love, this enthusiasm which comes from the first love then what comes is that serious danger to Christians: warmth. That is what the Letter to the Hebrews says to every Christian: For yet a little while, and the coming one shall come and shall not tarry. Ultimately it means reclaiming the memory so as not to lose that most beautiful experience of the first love which nourishes our hope. So often, hope is dark. But the Christian goes forward. He believes. He goes, for he knows that hope does not disappoint, to find Jesus. Ask the Lord for the grace to protect the present, the gift of salvation. It is a gift that each Christian must protect on this journey that always reclaims the memory and hope. But, He alone can give us this grace: may He send us the Holy Spirit to walk on this path.(Pope Francis)
Musical Selection
Hold on just a little while longer
Hold on just a little while longer
Hold on just a little while longer
Everything will be alright
Everything will be alright
Fight on just a little while longer
Fight on just a little while longer
(Fight/Pray) on just a little while longer
Everything will be alright
Everything will be alright
(We will) sing on just a little while longer
Sing on just a little while longer
Sing on just a little while longer
Everything will be alright
Everything will be alright…
Collect
In a wonderful manner, Lord God, you reconcile humankind to yourself through your only Son, the eternal Word. Grant that your Christian people may press on toward the Easter sacraments with lively faith and ready hearts. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God for ever and ever. Amen.
Monday of the Fourth Week of Lent(Hebrews 11:1-6)
11 Now faith is assurance of things hoped for, proof of things not seen.2 For by this, the elders obtained testimony.3 By faith, we understand that the universe has been framed by the word of God, so that what is seen has not been made out of things which are visible.
4 By faith, Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, through which he had testimony given to him that he was righteous, God testifying with respect to his gifts; and through it he, being dead, still speaks.
5 By faith, Enoch was taken away, so that he wouldn’t see death, and he was not found, because God translated him. For he has had testimony given to him that before his translation he had been well pleasing to God.6 Without faith it is impossible to be well pleasing to him, for he who comes to God must believe that he exists, and that he is a rewarder of those who seek him.
Commentary
In his letter to the Hebrews the Apostle says that they need endurance to do God’s will and obtain what he has promised. The only thing they have to endure is delay; there is no need for a renewed struggle. He means they are on the very threshold of victory; they have undergone all the contests, they have suffered imprisonment, affliction, and confiscation of their possessions, until finally here they stand awaiting their reward, with nothing but this delay still to be endured before they receive it. These words are a great encouragement. One could imagine them spoken to an athlete who has overthrown all contestants, and then, when it comes to being crowned, cannot wait for the arrival of the judge to place the wreath on his brow. Impatience makes him want to run away, as if the heat and thirst are no longer bearable. The Apostle hints at this in his next words, when he says:In a little while he who is to come will be here; he will not delay.So then, the waiting in itself brings no small reward.
Again he quotes:The righteous shall live by faith; no one who shrinks back in fear can please me.This is an exhortation and warning to those who have won through to the end that a moment’s carelessness can still lose them everything.But,he continues,we are not among those who shrink back and are lost; we have the faith that leads to life.These words were addressed to the Hebrews in the first place, but may equally well be used to encourage many of those gathered here, when they are downcast and tempted to lose heart. People are often troubled and find it hard to endure the sight of the wicked flourishing when they themselves are not succeeding. They long for vengeance and punishment to be inflicted on sinners, and to be rewarded far their own pains. And then it is that the Apostle speaks his words of comfort:In a little while he who is to come will be here; he will not delay.
We ourselves can also assure the listless and negligent that there will be a time for punishment, the Lord will certainly come; the resurrection and all its consequences are close at hand. If you wonder how we know this, I do not say: from the prophets. Christ himself foretold many things. If his predictions of immediate events were false, we need not believe what he foretold of the last days. But if they have all come true, we can entertain no doubts about the things that are still to come. Let a few examples prove my point. Christ foretold the fall of Jerusalem, declaring that the city would suffer a defeat unlike anything ever experienced before, and never rise again. This prediction has been truly fulfilled. He foretold a time of great distress, which indeed came. He also described how the Gospel would spread abroad like a mustard plant grown from a tiny seed. And so in fact we see it being carried day after day to the ends of the earth. Experience bears witness to the fulfilment of these prophetic words.(John Chrysostom)
Musical Selection
Glory be to Jesus, who in bitter pains poured for me the lifeblood from his sacred veins.
Grace and life eternal in that blood I find; blest be his compassion, infinitely kind.
Blest through endless ages be the precious stream which from endless torment did the world redeem.
Abel's blood for vengeance pleaded to the skies, but the blood of Jesus for our pardon cries.
Oft as earth exulting lifts its praise on high, angel hosts rejoicing make their glad reply.
Lift we, then, our voices, swell the mighty flood; louder still and louder praise the precious blood!
Collect
In the mystery of your saving plan, O God, you wonderfully renew the world; grant that your Church may be guided by your eternal decrees and never lack your help here on earth. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God for ever and ever. Amen.