December 2/First Friday of Advent
One thing I asked of the LORD, that will I seek after:
to live in the house of the LORD all the days of my life,
to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to inquire in his temple. ~ Psalm 27.4
Location, Location, Location
Years ago, when I was working in the off-Broadway theater in New York City, I would sometimes spend part of my lunch hour sitting quietly in a nearby Episcopal church. I was dealing with many distractions and worries in my job and in my life, and it grounded and calmed me simply to sit in a pew and be aware of the numinous presence of God. Decades later, while the distractions and worries are different (although no fewer!), I still find that sense of peace and comfort by entering a church and sitting or kneeling quietly in a pew. And so today’s verse from Psalm 27, which provides us an image of focused faithfulness, has long been a favorite. This devoted worshiper contemplates God in the serenity of his dwelling place, knowing why she has come to the temple. Her gaze is purposeful and focused. The verse deploys no fewer than three Hebrew words for “seek” or “search for,” each with a different shade of meaning, collectively signifying that worship entails whole-hearted, full-bodied, devotion. But it also points to the importance of location: this seeker places herself intentionally in the “house of the Lord,” searching for God where he may be found, in “his temple.” Of course, God is always with us. But there is something about the sacred space of a church, a temple, the house of the Lord, where God’s presence may be sought and found not just in an atmospheric and vague way, but in the structures of time and space in which He speaks: the liturgy, the scriptures, the building itself. In these do we most clearly glimpse his beauty.
God of glory and majesty, Grant that I may wholeheartedly seek the joy of dwelling in your presence, now and forever. Amen.
To hear the Rodolfus Choir sing Herbert Howells’ “One Thing Have I Desired of the Lord,” click here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4gge9DjFoUM
For today’s readings, click here: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/120222.cfm
