Unfailing Promises

St. Marcellin's rock-bottom faith saw him through the shaky beginnings of the Little Brothers of Mary, and became the inspiration for those who followed him not only in leadership, but also among the young men who followed in his footsteps after his death right up to our present day.  It took such faith for Br. Florentius to open a school in the midst of the Great Depression, it took such faith for the four founding brothers to go to the Philippines in 1948 to help a war torn country rebuild itself through education.  It has taken that same faith for the brothers who have volunteered in the Ad Gentes program, to leave their comfort zones and start from scratch where the Marists had never been.  What is the basis of this faith, what nourishes it?
Sirach tells us that "God does not withdraw his mercy/ nor permit even one of this promises to fail."  (Sir 47:22).  Strong words for us in an era when there seems to be so much uncertainty about God and traditional teachings.  So many lack the basics in Christian education that they even doubt the existence of God, since they have so much by way of material goods, and do not "need" God.  Even believers wobble on the fence, questioning "How can God allow such atrocities to happen?  How can liars get away with it?  "Why did so and so die so young? "  If there is a God, why didn't he answer my prayers?"  Etc. Etc.
Evidently these are the same questions faced by the Psalmist who wrote:

Can he who made the ear, not hear?
Can he who formed the eye, not see?
The Lord knows our thoughts. He knows they are no more than a breath.

The Lord will not abandon his people,
and forsake those who are his own:
for judgment shall again be just
nd all true hearts shall uphold it.
As for me, the Lord will be a stronghold;
my God will be the rock where I take refuge.  Ps. 94: 9, 11, 14, 22

St. Marcellin must have prayed this Psalm often for it too root in him and became part of him.  So too must this be our prayer.
Bro. Rene