ST. CATHARINES CONCORDIA - Brock University

52 LU I HEKAN 1 EIEOLOGICAL IiEVIEW
to be nailed to the cross, to die, so that all our enemies of sin, death, and the evil one
could be overwhclmingly crushcd and defeated. And as we stand here at the altar of
the Lord and see the broken Body and also the Blood shed for us, we can look out into
thc evil of thc world that lurks just the other side of the window and understmd.
"Though He slay me, yet will I trust in Him." Job said thosc words. He said them about
his God. "Though He slay me, yet I will tsust in Him." Job lost a daughter too, three
of them, in fact, and sons, as well as everything else he had. But Job knew that his
Kedeerner, his Vindicator, would stand at the Last Day upon thc carth; and Job said
that although skin worms would destroy his body, yet in his flesh he would see God.
That Redeemer is Chsist our Lord who cvcry bclicvcr asserts is "my Redeemer, my
Lord."
What elsc can we say about a young woman, a baptized child of God, who went
to a Catholic school, who was taken betwccn two churches on Holy Thursday, the day
the Church remembers the betrayal of our dear Lord Jesus Christ and the beginning
of His Suffcrings? This young woman who was taken so close to the altar ol' God. .
.what else can we say?. . .if this is not evidence that Satan is alive and wcll and still
seeking to defeat our Lord? Is this not evidence indeed that the evil one who attacked
our Lord in the desert, who attackcd Him on thc cross, fights against Him still? But
we are not to fear and be afraid, for by means of this very broken Body and shed Blood
our Lord has won, overcome, and obtained the victory. Here in this House where the
Word of God sounds forth, where the waters of forgiveness flow, where thc Sacrament
is eaten and received, Gocl builds His eternal Kingdom and He gathers His children
and they are upheld and supported so that they do not fall or become despondent, hut
they are reminded in our Lord's own words, "Be thou faithful unto dcath and I will
givc thcc a crown of life." 1 suppose we don't really like to think of it, but as Christian
parents who pray for our children's salvation, must WC not consider a martyr's crown
the highest honour, greater than any trophy the world could bestow? And did not this
woman, Kristcn, that very name heavy with meaning, die a martyr's death? "And this
is the victory that overcomes the world, even our faith."
0 IzttlcJloclc feu1 not he Foe
Who nzadl)~ seeb your o~erthrow;
DI eud not his rage, hl.7 power
Whnr thozigh yoni- courugc wrrulirnc fumts,
His seeming triumph o'er God's saints
Lusts OLLL CL litlle hour. Amen
Mar-virz M. Mcitz z s seniot puslol- of Grace Lutheran Church, St. Catlzarines, Ontario.