April 6/Fourth Saturday of Lent
O searcher of heart and soul, O just God. ~Ps 7.9
I am fortunate to live in an historic city that is defined by streetscape after streetscape of eighteenth- and nineteenth-century architecture. The private homes and public buildings — Georgian, Federal, Greek Revival, many of them graced with stately porticos or gracious piazzas — were built centuries ago with durable materials and solid construction techniques. Having withstood natural and human disasters — earthquakes, fires, several wars — they stand as symbols of integrity and durability. Reflecting not long ago on what he called the “humane principles of good buildings,” a prominent regional architect wrote, “High quality materials are the building blocks of good buildings and great places.” And, I would add, of holy people. Our psalmist today prompts us to see God as Examiner-in-Chief, who will go beneath the surface to see what we’re really made of. We may present to God and to the world a facade of success, happiness, and virtue, when in fact we struggle with an addiction we can’t dislodge, a broken relationship we cannot heal, a tendency to lie that we cannot correct. No one ever posts pictures of these truths on Facebook! But God is neither fooled nor impressed by the thin veneer of accomplishment. (Indeed, as the recent college admissions scandal has shown us for the umpteenth time, something can look very impressive on the outside and be completely fraudulent or rotten on the inside). Boring down deep, God tests what is truly in our hearts and minds (or, if you want to be literal about it, the “kidneys,” which in Hebrew connote the innermost being). The word that in English is translated as “searcher” – a verb that in biblical usage nearly always has God as its subject – connotes intense scrutiny for the purpose of determining the essential qualities of the thing scrutinized. God is conducting a deep spiritual analysis of each of us, seeking to determine the integrity of materials and process. Are we ready?
O God, Searcher of the human heart, I pray that I may have the humility to see myself as I am and to fashion my innermost being to be in accord with your will. Amen.
For today’s readings, click here: http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/040619.cfm
