April 8/Fifth Tuesday of Lent
Hide not your face from me in the day of my distress.
Incline your ear to me; in the day when I call, answer me speedily. ~ Ps 102.2
Whatever the source – instability in the world or unrest in our individual lives – all of us experience what the psalmist calls days of distress. When we encounter such times, we may well wonder where God is as we face hardship and trials. On some days, it may even seem that God has hidden his face from us, just when we most need to see it. Certainly the psalmist experienced God as absent, and his words today give us permission to voice our own anger, disappointment, or anxiety in our prayer. It is not all praise and glory! At the same time, however, we need to look squarely at who, exactly, has gone missing. As people of faith, we are in a relationship with the living God, who loves us endlessly and asks us to respond by loving him. How well are we doing at “staying in touch” with this One whom we love? If we reflect carefully, we may conclude, with Orthodox Archbishop Anthony Bloom (who wrote widely and well on prayer): “God could complain about us a great deal more than we about Him. We complain that He does not make Himself present to us for the few minutes we reserve for Him, but what about the twenty-three and a half hours during which God may be knocking at our door and we answer ‘I am busy, I am sorry’ or when we do not answer at all because we do not even hear the knock at the door of our heart, of our minds, of our conscience, of our life.” The more we can dedicate ourselves to showing our faces — and hearts — to our Lord throughout the day, the more we will sense God’s presence in our midst — just when we need it most.
Compassionate God, Grant that I may search for your face continuously, not taking you for granted but seeking true encounter. Amen.
For today’s readings, click here: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/040825.cfm
To hear the Cambridge Singers (conducted by John Rutter) sing Richard Farrant’s “Hide Not Thy Face,” click here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CPt6ItjaKN8
