Our God of comfort

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. 
        2 Corinthians 1:3-4

Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
       Matthew 5:4

I too have wept.
I too have lost.
I too have heard the sentence of injustice
   pronounced over my head.
I too have known hunger,
   and lack,
   and prison.
I too have fled the cruel,
   have seen friends flee,
   have heard the rumors,
   have been mocked.
I too have been handed over to torturers,
   have seen my own
   martyred lke sheep,
have felt the ship sinking under my feet.
I too have been kept from my beloved,
   have seen my lover in the arms of my enemy—and enjoying it.
I too have seen the grave.
I too have lost
   everything.
All this is true. I swear it by my own name.
And I am here to say two things:
It will all be made right,
   and you were never alone.

Lord, you have known, through the sufferings of Christ and your people, every kind of mourning. Please grant comfort to all those who need it, for you are the God of all consolation. Thank you—thank you, thank you. Amen.        (Paul J. Pastor, The Listening Day)

Grace and peace,  

Anita Sorenson
Pastor for Spiritual Formation