March 10/First Monday of Lent
The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul;
the decrees of the Lord are sure, making wise the simple;
the precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart;
the commandment of the Lord is clear, enlightening the eyes;
the fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever;
the ordinances of the Lord are true and righteous altogether. ~ Ps 19.8-10
“Love and prayer,” observed Catholic priest and theologian Ronald Rolheiser, OMI, “can only be sustained through ritual, routine, and rhythm.” Whether it is a regular nap schedule for a baby, a bedtime routine for a young child (three books, prayers, a glass of water,and two kisses good-night), or the daily ritual of coffee and newspapers for a long-married couple, the reassurance and familiarity of such observances foster the growth of trust and love. Today’s psalm verses, pristinely beautiful and balanced whether recited in Hebrew or English, both celebrate and incarnate the beauty of ritual. The parallel phrases, sensitively cadenced, compact, and musical, sound a comforting note of rhythmic regularity. This, to the psalmist, embodies the beauty of the faith God has given him: it is trustworthy, it is beautiful, it is intrinsically holy. Today, amid reports of declining numbers of those who acknowledge any religious affiliation, diminished attendance at worship services, and the general secularizing turn of the times, questions about the value of ritual and religious observance are important. Why should one be “observant,” or “practicing”? Don’t regular church-going and the practice of formal worship stifle our creativity and freedom? Can’t we just find God on the beach or in the woods? Decades ago, acknowledging what seemed a widespread reluctance to “impose a calendar on the soul,” the twentieth-century rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel offered a spirited defense of ritual: “The deeper truth is that routine breeds attention, calling forth a response where the soul would otherwise remain dormant. One is committed to being affected by the holy, if he abides at the threshold of its realm.” In the weeks to come, may we, too, find a way to abide at the threshold of God’s holy realm.
Almighty God, Grant me the will to embrace the rituals and observances of my faith throughout this penitential season and beyond. Amen.
For today’s readings, click here: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/031025.cfm
To hear the Choeur Des Moines Du Barroux (France) chant “Lex domini irreprehensibilis,” click here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ttd71f96rOo
