April 13/Monday in the Octave of Easter
I keep the LORD always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.
Therefore my heart is glad, and my soul rejoices; my body also rests secure. ~ Ps 16.8-9
Having read every one of the Hardy Boys mysteries to my youngest child some years ago (there are 58 in the “canon,” thank you for asking), I am intimately acquainted with the trope of the chapter-ending cliffhanger. Time after time, the intrepid brothers Frank and Joe Hardy find themselves in such moments as they pursue clues. Take this example from The Sinister Signpost: “The vehicle bounced into the air and hurtled directly toward the boys!” But what is truly important is what comes after the pivotal moment, the dramatic dilemma, the crux (the hurtling vehicle). How do you carry on after a life-defining event? What happens next? Or to put it another way, how will each of us respond to the “And then. . .” of Easter Monday (and for that matter, of the world-altering descent of COVID-19 into our midst)? The rock has been rolled away, the grief and despair of Good Friday have dissolved into the joy of the risen Christ, our lives have been picked up and re-channeled. What next? The psalmist shows us what: to seek and to cherish the presence of God, to let God’s love permeate our entire being. Continually renewing our efforts to seek the LORD in prayer, keeping the face of God before us throughout these long days, clinging to his permanence and stability — that way lies the path of life. Trusting God means that we hang on, however tenuously, to our faith even in the face of suffering and death. And what the psalmist calls “fullness of joy” — not indifference to the ghastliness of the current situation, but a deep and peaceful trust — will suffuse our entire being. Our hearts will be glad, our souls will rejoice, and our bodies will rest secure in the knowledge and love of Christ.
In trustful confidence, we pray to you, faithful God, that you will imbue our hearts, our souls, and our bodies with your love and peace as we step forward into new life. Amen.
To hear “Breathe On Me, Breath of God,” click here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rlyo3neR6xg
For today’s readings, click here: http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/041320.cfm
