March 26/Fourth Thursday of Lent
Our fathers made a calf in Horeb and adored a molten image
They forgot the God who had saved them, who had done great deeds in Egypt. ~ Ps 106.19, 21
In the end, it is always a lack of trust that ruptures our relationship with God. Whether it was Adam and Eve putting their judgment above God’s concerning the Tree of Knowledge, or the wandering Israelites who questioned Yahweh’s wisdom in leading them into what they considered a godforsaken wilderness, or any of us today taking matters into our own hands rather than seeking God’s will, we simply refuse to trust the One who created us, who chose us, who loves us. Like those long-ago children of Israel, we experience daily existence as a non-stop stress test in which the bad news about the pandemic seems to escalate by the hour. Our leaders have gone missing, the future is uncertain, and there is no end in sight to what we are going through either in our individual lives or as a community. For the “Golden Calfers” of whom the psalmist sings, life was hard and the wilderness was engulfing them. So with no visible proof that God had not forgotten them, they forgot God, and appeased their anxiety with idols of their own making. Perhaps we, too, impatient and uncertain, engulfed by the desolation of illness, a broken relationship, or some other circumstance that defies our control, also take matters into our own hands, and lift up false idols in the mistaken belief that they will bring us peace and happiness. We binge on Netflix, we obsess about our muscle tone, we elevate the bottle, we track the markets, we turn our attention to anything but God. But in the end, none of these objects of our adoration will bring us closer to the living God who has chosen us to be his children, no matter where we wander. To trust Him is all.
God, Grant this day that in all my comings and goings I may maintain infinite trust in you, whom I adore above all things. Amen.
To hear “O Worship the King,” click here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YQygFycpvBA
For today’s readings, click here: http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/032620.cfm
