March 19/Fifth Monday of Lent
Solemnity of St. Joseph
The promises of the LORD I will sing forever; through all generations my mouth shall proclaim your faithfulness.
~ Ps 89.2
In the long parade of human history, one generation’s unfinished business is inevitably carried over to the next. In the case of climate change or the national debt, this can be a negative legacy. In the case of handing on our love of God and our religious practices, however, it is perhaps the most important inheritance we can leave — in the words of Psalm 16, a “goodly heritage.” Today, Psalm 89 prompts us to think about how successfully we are passing on our beliefs to the next generation through the way we live our lives. Are we modeling a relationship with God that includes praying, fasting, and the giving of alms (the “Big Three” of Lent)? Do we make an effort to get ourselves into a church more than twice a year? Do we sing the promises of the LORD forever? We might reflect on whether we are we giving our children, and our children’s children, adequately robust examples of religious commitment. The German Jesuit theologian Karl Rahner once defined saints as “the initiators and the creative models of the holiness which happens to be right for, and is the task of, their particular age.” Each successive generation must strive for sainthood by discerning anew the challenges of its particular time: issues of social justice (and how to attain it), of religious practice (and how to sustain it), of peace (and how to achieve it). Having a faith that is continuous with the past, yet re-imagined for the present, is one way for us to proclaim our allegiance to the LORD through all generations.
Eternal God, our Rock and our Savior, Grant that our words and actions may confirm and sustain our faith in you, from generation to generation. Amen.
For today’s readings, click here: http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/031918.cfm
