March 18/Fifth Monday of Lent
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. ~ Ps 23.5
Setting a lovely table is a way to honor one’s friends. Whether it is a small Ikea two-seater equipped with simple utensils, humble dinnerware, and a posy of wildflowers, or an imposing mahogany dining table adorned with starched linens, delicate bone china, crystal glasses, and elegant silver, its thoughtful arrangement signals care and love for the guests we have asked into our homes. In today’s psalm, God prepares a table for us — but his is a table with a twist. He invites us in, not in the presence of our friends, but of our enemies. By leaving those “enemies” unspecified, the psalmist encourages us to consider how we might define them today. They might include external threats like social media trolls or an alienated work colleague. But there are more insidious and invisible forces in our souls that draw us away from God: a tendency to judge others, indifference to religious practice, or a consuming envy of a friend’s good fortune. And quite often, they get the better of us, don’t they? As we falter in our battles against our foes, we may feel undeserving of God’s invitation; as the Roman centurion said, “Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof.” But God, who sees our strengths and faults with crystal clarity and still loves us beyond reason, welcomes us nonetheless, even with our “enemies” in tow. In his moving poem “Love Bade Me Welcome,” 17th-century Anglican priest and poet George Herbert described how he shrank from his Lord’s invitation: “Love bade me welcome: yet my soul drew back,/Guiltie of dust and sinne.” Despite our unworthiness, God tells us to “come as we are,” welcoming us to his table, where he will transform us through his abundant love and exquisite mercy.
Loving and generous Lord, I offer you thanks for your ever-outstretched hand and your boundless mercy. Amen.
For today’s readings, click here: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/031824.cfm
To hear the Choir of Westminster Abbey sing “The Lord’s My Shepherd” for the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II, click here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yHQoRfFr1rE
