February 28/Second Wednesday of Lent
Into your hands I commend my spirit; you will redeem me, O LORD, O faithful God. ~ Ps 31.6
The hungry infant wails and then waits, listening for his mother’s footfall as she answers his cry. The toddler teeters, gathers her confidence, and flings herself off the side of the swimming pool into the waiting arms of her father. We are born with the desire and the ability to trust. But as the events of life unfold, that bond of trust is broken, many times over. A friend excludes us, a colleague takes advantage of our goodwill, a loved one betrays a confidence, and suddenly we begin to doubt that others are trustworthy. We retreat into the spurious safety of autonomy. We become reluctant to entrust our well-being to someone who may prove unreliable. We see ulterior motives where there may be none; we suspect that “whispering crowds” surround us, as in today’s psalm. Over against this the psalmist offers the faithfulness of God. In the face of human fickleness and betrayal, we can be confident that God will protect us. It can be hard, especially in a culture that prizes self-determination, for us to place ourselves in God’s hands. This is especially true in rough times, when we may doubt that God truly cares for us. Perhaps we can take comfort in the fact that Jesus uttered the very words of this psalm at the moment of his greatest suffering, as he hung on the cross: “Into your hands I commend my spirit.” As people of faith, even faith that is speckled with doubt, we are called to leave behind our suspicions and to fling ourselves confidently into the waiting arms of our creator.
Loving God, Give me the confidence and faith I need to abandon myself to your strong and trustworthy hands. Amen.
For today’s readings, click here:http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/022818.cfm
To hear the King’s Singers perform In manus tuas by Thomas Tallis, click here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=anTXnFJ-fFI
