March 6/Thursday after Ash Wednesday
Blessed are those who do not follow the advice of the wicked,
or take the path that sinners tread, or sit in the seat of scoffers;
but their delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law they meditate day and night. ~ Ps 1.1-2
“Are we there yet?” Before the advent of personal entertainment devices, generations of parents fielded this question on road trips. Over. And over. And over. When it comes to our earthly journey in faith, of course, we never quite get there, at least this side of the grave. There is no set point at which we master the Christian life, no moment at which we can proclaim that we’ve arrived. The life of a seeker of God is one of daily striving, not definitive completion. And how we conduct ourselves along the way matters. Every day, we can choose to follow the counsel of the wicked and walk in the way of sinners — doing a half-hearted job here, telling a self-serving lie there, ignoring the suffering around us. Every day, we can decide to sit in the company of the scoffers — diving into social media snark, smirking at the earnest or idealistic, scorning those who are different from us. Or we can ground ourselves in God, opting to “meditate on the instruction of the LORD day and night” — by praying in the morning and evening, by being mindful of the presence of God throughout the day, by perusing the Bible and spiritual texts that challenge our perspectives or lift our souls. As Augustine wrote in his commentary on John’s Gospel, “We must walk, progress, grow in order that our hearts may become capable of containing those things which at present we are not in a position to receive. And if the last day finds us still on the journey, we shall know above what we did not succeed in learning here below.”
O Lord of all living things, Help me to follow your way and your truth in every step I take, today and forever. Amen.
For today’s readings, click here: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/030625.cfm
To hear the Tallis Scholars sing “Man Blest No Doubt,” Thomas Tallis’ interpretation of Psalm 1, click here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hBw2E1gT6GI
