December 6/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
At the end of whatever time I can set aside for prayer in the morning, I rise from my chair resolved to keep Christ at the forefront of my heart and mind throughout the day, to undertake some version of “praying ceaselessly,” as Paul instructs us to do. But within the hour I am in the clutches of the day’s distractions, and more often than not, at night I have to acknowledge, ruefully, that I have imperfectly realized my good intention, and have once again let the urgent eclipse the important. Today’s verse from Psalm 27 – a personal favorite – provides an aspirational image of authentic and single-minded faith. The solitary worshiper, quietly gazing on God in the serenity of God’s dwelling place, knows what he is about: his worship of the Lord is purposeful and focused. Today’s verse deploys no fewer than three Hebrew words for “seek” or “search for,” each with a different shade of meaning, collectively signifying that the life of faith begins with restless and heartfelt desire for what’s missing: it is a quest. We can take no more important and meaningful action than to commit ourselves to this search with all our heart, and all our soul, and all our strength, because in doing so we are striving to love and live in God authentically. To try to be a Christian, pointed out David Lonsdale, a contemporary teacher and writer on spirituality, means “searching for ways of living out the two great gospel commandments of loving God and our neighbour, while recognizing the imperfection of our attempts.” To seek God in the people around us and in our daily lives is, indeed, the “one thing” to which we may devote ourselves wholeheartedly.
God of glory and majesty, Grant that I may wholeheartedly seek the joy of dwelling in your presence, now and forever. Amen.
For today’s readings, click here: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/120624.cfm
To hear Cantores in Ecclesia (Portland, OR) sing “Unam petii a Domino” (“One thing I have asked of the Lord”), click here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLi-a-WPwssPNe8vbDyHGTg/about
