March 19/Second Wednesday of Lent
Solemnity of St. Joseph
The steadfast love of the LORD I will sing forever;
through all generations my mouth shall proclaim your faithfulness. ~ Ps 89.2
One evening a few years ago, over pre-dinner libations and our favorite Harris Teeter Munchie Mix, my father told the story of his grandfather’s journey to faith. “Wee-Daddy,” as he was known, was a genteel agnostic who drove his formidably stout Aunt Georgie to Grace Episcopal Church every Sunday, waiting outside in the car until the service ended and he could take her home. One summer Sunday, the stifling heat drove him inside. Standing in the back of the church, he heard the rector deliver a particularly rousing sermon. And he never missed a Sunday after that. Such family gems pass from generation to generation; they impart lessons about faith (God can pull you in at any moment) and communicate a family’s ethos (honor your elders). So it is with the stories we tell about God. Today’s psalm prompts us to think about how effectively and enthusiastically we are singing of God’s steadfast love, especially to the next generation. Our song is not confined to the hymnbook, of course; we sing of God’s love through our choices and actions every day. Do we set aside time for prayer? Do we worship regularly? Do we share the love of God with our neighbors in need as well as with those close to us? Are we not only teaching our children, and our children’s children, the facts of our faith, but also opening their eyes to its deep and abiding joy? Our expressions and experiences of living in God may change and evolve, but underlying them is the steadfast love that supports and accompanies each generation along the way. To ground ourselves in that unchanging love and to honor it every day of our lives, in ways small and large, is what it means to proclaim the faithfulness of the LORD through all ages.
Eternal God, our Rock and our Savior, Grant that our words and actions may confirm, sustain, and express our faith in you, from generation to generation. Amen.
For today’s readings, click here: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/031925.cfm
To hear the Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church (NYC) Virtual Choir sing “My Song Forever Shall Record,” click here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zjiK_IP3c4Y
