"I extol YOU, O YAHWEH, for YOU have rescued me; my enemies will not gloat over me.
YAHWEH, YOU have brought me up from the grave, YOU gave me life when I was going to the pit.
Sing to YAHWEH, O you HIS saints, give thanks and praise to HIS holy name.
For HIS anger lasts but a little while, and HIS kindness all through life.
'Hear, O YAHWEH, and have mercy on me; O YAHWEH, be my protector.'
But now, YOU have turned my mourning into rejoicing; YOU have taken off my sackcloth and wrapped me in the garments of gladness.
And so my soul, no longer silent, now sings praise without ceasing. O YAHWEH my GOD, forever will I give YOU thanks."
- Psalm 30:2. 4. 5-6. 11-12. 13
('The devil was sick, the devil, a monk would be. The devil was well, the devil, a monk was he.' This is said of those persons who, in times of sickness or danger make pious resolutions, but forget them, when danger is past and health recovered. There is some truth in this. Good health has its own unconscious arrogance and is even accompanied sometimes, by a deceptive feeling of holiness. Sickness opens our eyes. We look back on our lives and are frightened by the selfishness of our motives. When we recover, our conduct may not improve, but at least we may be grateful for our recovery in our prayers. But the real sickness is of mind and soul, and if we ask GOD to cure us of this, the dawn will break.
Nothing is definitive in this life. The LORD alternates joys and sorrows according to what we need, for the development of our faith. We are, at times, surprised: the trials discourage us as if GOD no longer existed, and when GOD grants favors, we find it hard to believe them to be true.
Those who know they are besieged by sickness and are threatened by death can pray with this psalm.)
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