The Imitation of Christ by Thomas à Kempis, Book III Chapter XXVIII: “Against the Tongues of Slanderers” (third entry)

The words Kempis has Christ speaking cut to the heart. We are who we are in God’s eyes; what others say about us does not change that. So we turn to the Lord for “true peace and true glory” — it will not be found elsewhere.

|Today’s first reading: Jer 15:10, 16-21

Psalm 146 is a short song of exuberant praise of God. He is our help, our hope, our maker. The oppressed, the hungry, the prisoner, the handicapped, the feeble, the immigrant, the widow, all find recourse in Him. Look to the Lord, not men, for eternal salvation — and glory in Him for this gift.

|Reflection

Kempis and the Psalmist converge well today. Both encourage us, over and over, to keep our gaze upward and forward, to God and eternity. In this valley of tears, there will be many ups and downs, but the Lord is constant, unchanging (by definition). In this brief sojourn in the valley of tears, let us never waver in keeping our eyes on the prize and our feet on the narrow path. And if the trials to which we are subjected seem overwhelming, let us immediately take refuge in a God who understands us and the human condition better than we ourselves do.