In today’s Tract from Psalm 90, God the Holy Ghost is telling all of us that God will protect us from all of our enemies.

“His Truth shall compass thee with a shield”.

But the Scripture also teaches all of us that we must first be lovers of the Truth, otherwise God will never protect us with His shield of Truth where you read:

“...because they receive not the love of the Truth, that they might be saved. Therefore God shall send them the operation of error, to believe lying:   That all may be judged who have not believed the Truth” (2 Thessalonians 2:10-11).

“Thou shalt not be afraid of the terror of the night” (Psalm 90:5).

It includes negative thoughts and feelings as well as worry about oneself and others, including all the problems of the day which want to spend the night roosting in the mind which can lead to insomnia and other problems.

“Of the arrow that flieth in the day” (Psalm 90:6).

By the way, it was by doing entire plays by Shakespeare that he was able to bring in enough money to pay off the debt on the new church building which debt he had inherited from the previous Pastor.  So, of course, he was more than happy to oblige.

Monsignor would quote either from the famous dagger scene soliloquy of Macbeth, or the famous soliloquy of Hamlet that begins: “To be, or not to be”.

What follows seems to explain the passage in this Psalm because the Bard of Avon has Hamlet say:

“Whether ’tis nobler in the mind to suffer
The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune
Or to take arms against a sea of troubles,
And by opposing end them” (William Shakespeare, “The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark”, 1604 A.D., ACT III, Scene I, Elsinore. A room in the Castle, Hamlet-Soliloquy) so accurately explains “the arrow that flieth in the day.”

“Of the business that walketh about in the dark: of invasion, or of the noonday devil” (Psalm 90:6).

This is explained by Saint Peter in the New Testament where he writes:

“Be sober and watch: because your adversary the Devil, as a roaring lion, goeth about seeking whom he may devour.  Whom resist ye, strong in faith” (1 Peter 5:8-9).

“A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand: but it shall not come nigh thee” (Psalm 90:7).

This passage from verse 7 is explained more clearly in verses 14 through 16:

90:14.  Because he hoped in Me, I will deliver him: I will protect him because he hath known My Name.

90:15.  He shall cry to Me, and I will hear him: I am with him in tribulation, I will deliver him, and I will glorify him.

90:16. I will fill him with length of days; and I will shew him My salvation.

These passages We have been explaining are from Psalm 90 which Psalm was recited by many people during the German air raids on England during World War II because it gives people HOPE as it increases their FAITH, TRUST, and CONFIDENCE in God as the Apocalypse testifies:

“11   He that hurteth, let him hurt still:  and he that is filthy, let him be filthy still:  and he that is just, let him be justified still:  and he that is holy, let him be sanctified still.
12   Behold, I come quickly; and My reward is with Me, to render to every man according to his works.
13   I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.
14   Blessed are they that wash their robes in the Blood of the Lamb:  that they may have a right to the Tree of Life, and may enter in by the gates into the city.” (Apocalypse 22:11-14).

For your Resolutions, right now thank the good God for His promise to protect you from all of the evil spirits and their human agents, not only in Psalm 90, but even in chapter 22 of the Apocalypse.

During this Lent, while you are trying, by the Grace of God, to redouble your efforts to live a life which is holy and pleasing to God, and while you are realistic if you expect to be attacked again and again by such things as:

“the terror of the night.  Of the arrow that flieth in the day, of the business that walketh about in the dark: of invasion, or of the noonday devil”

This is why even IF

“a thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand”

“it shall not come nigh [to] thee”

Holiness should also be found in your Spiritual Life.

We recommend moderation such as only one or two religious devotions, rather than many of them.

We likewise recommend a realistic prayer life by which you take into consideration the demands made on your time, which you should also consider regarding your Spiritual Reading.

The bottom line is this: it is better to say a few prayers for your Morning and Evening Prayers everyday, than more prayers said but once a week.

It is also better to spend 2 to 5 minutes every day doing your Spiritual Reading than trying to make up for it once a week.

Of course, IF you have more time for these things, then you should devote more time to them.  But, IF you are on a very tight time schedule, then the key is to do a little each and every day of the week - all 7 days - rather than lot, but only once a week.

As a final resolution, in the Holy Name of Jesus, and in an exercise of Catholic Charity, please contribute to the support of the Church - in this case - the Shrine of Saint Jude.  Please help us to save Souls!  Thank you for your thoughtfulness and Charity! Remember, God is never outdone in generosity!!!

Think how happy you will be when, in the next life, God shows you all of the Souls you helped to save by helping our Apostolates, including this Sermon web site, because "he who causeth a sinner to be converted from the error of his way, shall save his soul from death, and shall cover a multitude of sins" (James 5:20).

“And in doing good, let us not fail.  For in due time we shall reap, not failing. Therefore, whilst we have time, let us work good to all men, but especially to those who are of the household of the faith” (Galatians  6:9-10).

“His Truth shall compass thee with a shield: thou shalt not be afraid of the terror of the night.  Of the arrow that flieth in the day, of the business that walketh about in the dark: of invasion, or of the noonday devil.  A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand: but it shall not come nigh thee” (TRACT - Psalm 90:5-7).