for us to bless on propitious occasions, but to be silent on dark and difficult ones. On the contrary, we must bless even more at that time, knowing that ‘whom the Lord loves, he chastises; and he scourges every son whom he receives.’15 ‘His praise shall be always in my mouth.’16 The prophet seems to promise something impossible. For, how can the praise of God be always in the mouth of man? When he engages in the ordinary conversations pertaining to daily life, he does not have the praise of God
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