{"id":5982,"date":"2016-11-25T03:30:12","date_gmt":"2016-11-25T08:30:12","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/admin.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicbookblogger\/?p=5982"},"modified":"2016-11-21T22:33:56","modified_gmt":"2016-11-22T03:33:56","slug":"pursued-by-the-angel-of-the-lord-angels-day-127","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicbookblogger\/2016\/11\/25\/pursued-by-the-angel-of-the-lord-angels-day-127\/","title":{"rendered":"Pursued by the angel of the Lord; Angels: Day 127"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

\"angels_augustine_4\"<\/a>A terrifying image from Psalm 35 provokes St. Augustine to meditate on <\/em>h<\/em>o<\/em>w\u00a0<\/em>God punishes. When God sends his angel to pursue the wicked, it\u2019s not out of <\/em>anger, but simply \u00a0the nature of righteousness at <\/em>wor<\/em>k.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cLet them be like chaff before the wind, with the angel of the Lord driv- ing them on! Let their way be dark and slippery, with the angel of the Lord pursuing them!\u201d (Ps. 35:5-6).<\/p>\n

A horrible way! Everyone is afraid of darkness alone, and everyone avoids a slippery way alone. How will you go in a dark and slippery way? Where will you find a foothold?<\/p>\n

These two evils are the great punishments of humanity. Darkness is ignorance. A slippery way is luxury.<\/p>\n

\u201cWith the angels of the Lord pursuing them\u201d: so that they will not be able to stand. If you were in a dark and slippery way, and you see that you will fall if you move your foot, and there is no light in front of you, you might decide to wait until light came. But here is the angel of the Lord pursuing you!<\/p>\n

The Psalmist predicted that these things would happen to them\u2014not as though he wanted them to happen. But even though the prophet says these things in the Spirit of God, in the same way God does, with sure judgment, with a judgment good, righteous, holy, tranquil\u2014not moved with anger, or with bitter jealousy, or with a desire to make enemies, but of punishing wickedness with righteousness\u2014nevertheless, it is a prophecy. \u2013St. Augustine, Exposition on Psalm 35<\/em>, 6<\/p>\n

IN GOD\u2019S PRESENCE, CONSIDER . . .<\/strong><\/p>\n

Am I in danger of falling into the \u201cdark and slippery way,\u201d with the angel pursuing me? What am I doing to overcome ignorance and luxury?<\/p>\n

CLOSING PRAYER<\/strong><\/p>\n

Lord, send your angels to pursue those who mistreat me, to win them over <\/em>to your cause, to <\/em>inspire their conversion, to give them true <\/em>p<\/em>eace<\/em>.<\/em><\/p>\n

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