Is Your Soul Righteous Before God?

Since yesterday, we began reading from the Book of Wisdom, after completing the profound Letter of St. Paul to the Romans with all its beautiful lessons.

The Book of Wisdom, traditionally attributed to King Solomon, is sometimes called The Wisdom of Solomon. However, its true authorship remains uncertain. What is clear, though, is its divine inspiration and timeless relevance.

The opening chapters draw a sharp distinction between evil and righteousness, and between the destinies of the wicked and the just. Today’s passage, Wisdom 2:23–3:9, gives us one of the most famous and comforting declarations in all of Scripture:

“The souls of the righteous are in the hands of God, and no torment shall ever touch them. In the eyes of the unwise, they seemed to die, their departure was thought a disaster, their going from us, an annihilation; but they are in peace.” (Wisdom 3:1–3)

This passage speaks of eschatological hope, that is, the eternal peace and reward awaiting the righteous in the life to come. Yet it also holds a message for this present life. The truly virtuous often appear to the world as “dead” to its pleasures and priorities. Those who dedicate their lives to God are sometimes misunderstood, ridiculed, or even pitied. But while the world sees loss, God sees life. While others see failure, God calls it peace.

To live righteously is to live differently.

To choose virtue when it is inconvenient, to hold onto truth when it costs us comfort, and to keep faith even when misunderstood.

So, do you sometimes feel unworthy to be called “righteous”? Remember: God knows the heart. He understands our struggles, sees our efforts, and covers our weaknesses with mercy. Righteousness is not perfection; it is the steady direction of a heart set on God.

In God is their peace and in God is our peace.

Prayer:

Lord, strengthen us as we walk the path of righteousness. When the world misunderstands our devotion, remind us that our lives are in Your hands.

Let Your mercy speak over our weakness,
and may we experience the reward of virtue, peace in this life and glory in the life to come. Amen.