Lesser Festival of Perpetua,
Felicity and companions, martyrs, 203
A Shield
I like the idea of God being “a shield around me”.
Too many times I feel like indeed “many are my foes”. Society feels threatening
as a whole, and I feel like people are going to judge me. Other times, people
actually may “rise up against me”, and openly discredit me or confront me. But
on those times, may I always have God as a “shield around me”.
The shield of a warrior, yes, crashing teeth and
jaws. That is indeed how sometimes I need to feel God around me, giving me
strength to face the unfair and stand up against it. But also, the shield of an
astronaut, going into space, protecting me not only from who or what wants to
hurt me, but to accompany me in my journey to discovery.
This is not about people rising against me; this is
about God being always there and us trusting in God. About hearing but not
listening to the ones telling us that God will not save us. And about
listening, even if not hearing, the Lord surrounding us as a shield, placing
faithful and loving people around us.
This is about the trust of closing our eyes every
night when going to sleep; and regardless of whether we are accompanied or
alone, we are never alone. Because God is there with us. And we trust that He
will be our shield during the night. And opening our eyes in the morning, He
will be there, standing guard.
Ines Fernandez del Cotero
Secades
Mary and
Child with Saints Felicity and Perpetua (Sacra Conversazione), c. 1520,
National Museum in Warsaw, Poland
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