WAITING FOR JUSTICE

Psalm 72
Romans 15:4

Written by Anne-Louise DePalo

Psalm 72, Paragraph 7: “Justice shall flourish in his time in fullness and peace forever.”
Romans 15:4: “For what things soever were written for our learning that through patience and the comfort of the scriptures, we might have hope.”

Psalm 72 reminds me of how inpatient I am, and how I expect God to work on my time. Expecting things to happen when I want, and how I think they should. Today’s Responsorial Psalm is about justice flourishing I God’s time. Justice is defined as everyone receiving their due. Yes, we must work for justice, and as an attorney, that is my vocation. I, however, become frustrated and upset when I look for earthy justice and do not find it. I must do what I can. Prepare, argue, advocate, and present my case, but the outcome is in God’s hands. Advent is a time of waiting, and I am again reminded of this in these readings.

Without conforming our will to God’s will, we will never have peace. This is the lesson of the saints. I recently read a quote from St. Therese, which brings this message home. She shows us the way to peace. In our suffering and daily lives, she tells us, “The thoughts of Jesus are not our thoughts, and his ways are not our ways. See life as it really is. I found the secret of suffering in peace – to will all that Jesus wills.”

St. Paul in the second reading from Romans tell us prayer and the Word are there to help us to continue to hope for justice for this world and the next. It gives us the strength and perseverance to continue the fight. Justice will rule in this world upon the return of Christ in the second coming. Until then, through the birth of our Savior, and in the Incarnation, we have been saved and will receive eternal life if we live ” just” lives and help bring justice to others one person at a time. The rest is up to Him.