February 24/First Saturday of Lent
Happy are those who keep his decrees, who seek him with their whole heart. ~ Ps 119.2
In an age where phrases like “friends with benefits” and “hooking up” describe a culture in which relationships are seen as disposable — transactions rather than genuine engagements — the notion of a whole-hearted commitment to another person is increasingly counter-cultural. In my own extended family, by the end of this year we will have celebrated two separate sixtieth-wedding anniversaries. The faith, hope, and love that undergird these long marriages constitute a remarkable witness to commitment — just the kind of dedication that the psalmist praises in today’s verse from Psalm 119. How many of us can honestly say that we seek God with our whole hearts? We often plead the “press of business”; hassled by the yapping needs and demands that dog our steps each day, we wonder, “Will ‘half-hearted’ do for now?” Often, these claims on our attention are important and legitimate, and will brook no delay — the lunches that need to be packed, the meeting that must happen in order to make the deadline, the medical charts that have to be updated, the papers graded. But sometimes our frantic schedules function as a defense against the risk of living into our faith. To put aside the excuses, to step out of the routine, and to seek God with our whole hearts may propel us in an unfamiliar or challenging direction. Those who follow Christ will follow him to the Cross. But if we follow him to the Cross, we will also follow him beyond the Cross, to the glorious resurrection where we will delight in the law of the LORD, which is eternal love. That would seem to be a commitment worth making!
Steadfast Lord, Inspire me with the courage to put my whole heart into loving, honoring, and obeying you above all things in my life. Amen.
For today’s readings, click here: http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/022418.cfm
To hear the “Hymn of St. Patrick,” click here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dWdZ13cH5lU
