26 May 2021
Have mercy upon us, O God of all,
and put all the nations in fear of you.
Then they will know, as we have known,
that there is no God but you, O Lord.
Ecclesiasticus 36:1-2,5-7,13-19, NRSV
In today’s reading, the author (Ben Sira) prays for the restoration of Israel and the overcoming of its enemies. At the time when this prayer was composed, the Jews were a scattered people following the period of Babylonian exile, and the Holy Land was under threat of occupation by the Syrian Empire which threatened to abolish the Jewish Law and religion. The prayer is based on the certain belief that God regarded Israel as his “first born” and that God does not abandon his children. The prayer asks God to make known his power to all nations so that all will recognise him as their king.
- Why do you think the author was so confident that God would intervene on Israel’s behalf?
- What can we pray for in such confidence?
Pray for all those affected by the recent violence between Israelis and Palestinians and for a peaceful resolution to the ongoing dispute.
