"The LORD is good to everyone.
He showers compassion on all his creation." 
Psalm 145:9 (NLT)

Meditation: Then why, Lord, is there so much suffering and death since the fall of Adam and Eve? You knew we would turn against you when you created us. Is it to teach us detachment? Was the death of a loved one the ultimate solution to breaking our fascination with the shadow world and its illusion? Is that what Christ was referring to when he said, "for it is in dying that we are born to eternal life"? 

We know that Jesus was talking about dying to the self, but was he not also talking about the shock of death being necessary to shake us to the core of our being to bring about a new realization: that we are much more than mere creatures living in a world that promises happiness but delivers pain? Was it not necessary that the chains of darkness be broken so that we could see the light?

So even in death, Lord, you show us your great love and compassion. Your kindness, mercy and unfailing love could not leave us to our own devices. And that's why you sent Jesus: it was his death and resurrection that ripped apart the Temple curtain, the veil that blinded us to you and the joy of being with you forever. Thank you, Father, and thank you, Jesus, for loving us so much!


"The LORD helps the fallen
and lifts those bent beneath their loads." Psalm 145:14 (NLT)

Meditation: "John, I will never give you more burdens than you can handle," says the Lord.

"The LORD frees the prisoners." Psalm 146:7 (NLT)

Meditation: Thank you, Father, for freeing me from the chains that bind me: evil, frustration, sadness, fear, anxiety, and illness.

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Here is Psalm 10 from my book, "Praying the Psalms for the Unborn Child." 

Psalm 10
Last Judgment
Agony in the Garden

1Why do You stand afar off, O LORD?
Why do You hide Yourself in times of trouble?
2In pride the wicked hotly pursue the afflicted;
Let them be caught in the plots which they have devised.

3For the wicked boasts of his heart's desire,
And the greedy man curses and spurns the LORD.
4The wicked, in the haughtiness of his countenance, does not seek Him.
All his thoughts are, "There is no God."

5His ways prosper at all times;
Your judgments are on high, out of his sight;
As for all his adversaries, he snorts at them.
6He says to himself, "I will not be moved;
Throughout all generations I will not be in adversity."
7His mouth is full of curses and deceit and oppression;
Under his tongue is mischief and wickedness.
8He sits in the lurking places of the villages;
In the hiding places he kills the innocent;
His eyes stealthily watch for the unfortunate.
9He lurks in a hiding place as a lion in his lair;
He lurks to catch the afflicted;
He catches the afflicted when he draws him into his net.
10He crouches, he bows down,
And the unfortunate fall by his mighty ones.
11He says to himself, "God has forgotten;
He has hidden His face; He will never see it."

12Arise, O LORD; O God, lift up Your hand
Do not forget the afflicted.
13Why has the wicked spurned God?
He has said to himself, "You will not require it."
14You have seen it, for You have beheld mischief and vexation to take it into Your hand.
The unfortunate commits himself to You;
You have been the helper of the orphan.
15Break the arm of the wicked and the evildoer,
Seek out his wickedness until You find none.

16The LORD is King forever and ever;
Nations have perished from His land.
17O LORD, You have heard the desire of the humble;
You will strengthen their heart, You will incline Your ear
18To vindicate the orphan and the oppressed,
So that man who is of the earth will no longer cause terror.

This psalm, like the previous psalm, is about the last judgment¹⁷. This is also the prayer of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane as He prays for justice.

O Lord, why are You so hard to find when we are in trouble? (10:1) The arrogant and wicked person persecutes the poor; let the wicked one be caught in his own trap (10:2). The wicked one takes pride in his evil intentions, extols greed and rejects God (10:3). The wicked one arrogantly ignores God (10:4). He is successful and does not fear the Lord's judgment; he mocks his enemies (10:5). His sinful behavior does not concern him since he believes he will always be successful no matter what he does (10:6).

He curses, lies and bullies; he causes trouble and spreads evil (10:7). He hides in the shadows where he can kill the innocent undetected; he secretly plots against the defenseless (10:8). Like a lion in his den, he waits to pounce on his poor unsuspecting victim and subdue him (10:9). Feigning weakness, he defeats the defenseless with his strength (10:10). He says to himself that God pays him no attention; God will never see his evil deeds (10:11).

Rise, O Lord, and strike the wicked; do not forget those who suffer (10:12). The wicked despise God. He tells himself that God will not hold him accountable for his actions (10:13). But You have seen his evil deeds and those who have been wronged look to You for justice, for You are the helper of the defenseless (10:14). Strike down the evil and sinful man and destroy his wickedness (10:15). The Lord is King forever; no nation can stand against Him 10:16).

Lord, You have heard the desires of the afflicted; You will lift their spirits; You will hear their supplications (10:17). You will favorably judge the defenseless and the oppressed, but those who do evil will be condemned and will never harm anyone again (10:18).

Prayer for life: Dear Jesus, You hear the cries of the poor defenseless aborted children who plead for justice. You see the wicked's disregard for Your laws and how they murder the innocent. You will destroy them and banish them from Your kingdom. But I, Lord, reject evil and count myself among those who love You and seek to do the Father's will. Help me, Lord, to welcome my child into the world with open arms as You will one day hopefully welcome me into Your kingdom. Amen.

Have a blessed day!
John

¹⁷The Orthodox Study Bible. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2008. 687. Print.

Scripture (Psalms 1-21) taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.

Copyright © 2010 by John P. Gross. All rights reserved. Reproduction of this material must be done in its entirety with the copyright notice intact. This book is not for sale, but is offered to the public free of charge in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary and for the glory of God.