Throughout the summer and in a particularly clear way yesterday, the Scripture readings and the prayers of The Liturgy of the Hours in the Catholic Church seem to have been written for exactly this moment, for a people inundated by headlines and commentary about darkness in the Church. And with some precision. These were some of the readings yesterday:

“Far be it from us to forsake the Lord . . . we will serve the Lord, for he is our God.”

And:

The LORD has eyes for the just, and ears for their cry. The Lord confronts the evildoers to destroy remembrance of them from the earth.

And:

Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ loved the church and handed himself over for her to sanctify her, cleansing her by the bath of water with the word, that he might present to himself the church in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish.

And:

Jesus then said to the Twelve, “Do you also want to leave?” Simon Peter answered him, “Master, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and are convinced that you are the Holy One of God.”

And (from the Office of Readings in the prayer of the Church):

Lord God, you heard the cry of your Son when he was oppressed and saved him from the sleep of death. Arise, Lord, help your Church. Be its shield so that it may hold up its head and radiate the glory of the resurrection.

They all seemed not-so-subtle reminders that “Providence” means something. And moments like this are for confronting whether you actually believe it or not. Anger will be righteous when we can still the eternal picture.