February 23/Thursday after Ash Wednesday
Blessed are those who follow not the counsel of the wicked, Nor walk in the way of sinners, nor sit in the company of the insolent; But they delight in the law of the LORD and meditate on his law day and night. ~ Ps 1.1-2
“Are we there yet?” Before the omnipresence of those personal screens that lessen the pain of an extended car trip with children (for better or worse), many a parent fielded this question countless times during the journey. When it comes to the journey of faith, of course, we never quite “get there,” at least during the earthly leg of the journey. There is no set point at which one has mastered the Christian life, no moment at which we can say with certainty, “I have attained success; I can stop moving.” As the psalmist knows, the life of a seeker of God is one of daily striving, not permanent attainment. Every day we have opportunities to follow the counsel of the wicked and to walk in the way of sinners — cutting a corner here, telling a small, self-serving lie there, being indifferent to the suffering around us. Every day we have opportunities to sit in the company of the insolent — smirking at those who stand up for their convictions, standing on the sidelines at the safe distance irony affords, sneering at earnestness or goodness. But we also have the opportunity to “meditate on the teaching of the LORD day and night” — by praying quietly at dawn and at eventide, by reading and reflecting on the Bible, by keeping God close throughout the day. As Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote, “With God one does not arrive at a fixed position; rather, one walks along a way. . . God knows the whole way; we only know the next step and the final goal.” Over these next forty days may we turn aside from anything that separates us from the love of God, choosing instead to take the next step in His way, the way of prayer and of love.
O God, Master of all living things, Help me to follow your way, your truth, and your life in every step I take today and forever. Amen.
To hear a recording (1986) by the USSR Ministry of Culture Chamber Choir of “Blessed is the man” from Rachmaninov Vespers, click here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NllREpxnkzU
For today’s readings, click here: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/022323.cfm
