December 3/First Friday of Advent
One thing I asked of the LORD, that will I seek after:
to live in the house of the LORD all the days of my life,
to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to inquire in his temple. ~ Psalm 27.4
At the end of whatever time I am able to set aside for prayer in the morning, I rise from my chair resolved to keep Christ at the forefront of my heart and mind throughout the day, to undertake some version of “praying ceaselessly,” as Paul instructs us to do. But within minutes I am in the clutches of the day’s distractions, and more often than not, as I turn out the light I have to acknowledge, ruefully, that I have failed in my good intention, and have once again let the urgent eclipse the important. Today’s verse from Psalm 27 – a personal favorite – provides an aspirational image of authentic and single-minded faith. The solitary worshiper, quietly gazing on God in the serenity of his dwelling place, knows what she is about: her worship is purposeful and focused. Indeed, the verse deploys no fewer than three Hebrew words for “seek” or “search for,” each with a different shade of meaning, collectively signifying that worship entails an active quest. Equally important, she is seeking the Lord where the Lord may be found, in his house, his temple, his church. While we may find the LORD anywhere — walking the dogs, practicing yoga, even, I suppose, hitting a golf ball — our relationship with God flowers through regular practice. Being “spiritual, but not religious” sounds nice, but won’t really do the job. We are called to place ourselves intentionally within the structures of time and space in which God may speak to us: the liturgy, the scriptures, the building itself. God’s revelation does not appear “on demand;” it emerges unexpectedly from the rite and ritual that we share with a church community. The solitary seeker portrayed in today’s psalm is not giving a status update; she is inviting us to join her.
God of glory and majesty, Grant that I may wholeheartedly seek the joy of dwelling in your presence, now and forever. Amen.
For today’s readings, click here: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/120321.cfm
To hear William Byrd’s “Unam petii a Domino,” click here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MXavUjXsXgg
