April 5/Wednesday of Holy Week Insult has broken my heart, and I am weak, I looked for sympathy, but there was none; for consolers, not one could I find. But I am lowly and in pain; let your salvation, O God, protect me.I will praise the name of God in song, and I will glorify him with thanksgiving. ~ Ps 69.21,…
Author: Betsy Cahill
Song 35: All the Light We Can See
April 3/Monday of Holy Week The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom should I fear?Though an army encamp against me, my heart will not fear; though war be waged upon me, even then will I trust. ~ Ps 27.1, 3 For the past several weeks, ever since the scaffolding was removed, my gaze (and, I believe, the gaze…
Song 34: Weal and Woe
April 1/Fifth Saturday of Lent They shall come and sing aloud for joy on the height of Zion,and they shall be radiant over the goodness of the LORD,over the grain, the wine, and the oil, the young of the flock and the herd;their life shall become like a watered garden, and they shall never languish again. ~ Jer. 31.12 When…
Song 33: SOS
March 31/Fifth Friday of Lent Ropes of death encircled me; torrents of wickedness assailed me;Ropes of Sheol entangled me; snares of death confronted me.In my distress I called upon the LORD; to my God I cried for help.From his temple he heard my voice, and my cry to him reached his ears. ~ Ps 18.4-6 When my children were young,…
Song 32: 24/7
March 30/Fifth Thursday of Lent Seek the LORD and his strength; Search for his presence continually. ~ Ps 105.4 It’s the “continually” that causes difficulties, isn’t it? We might manage to engage occasionally, perhaps seeking the LORD and his strength on Sundays when we go to church, or even a few times a week when we scratch out a few…
Song 31: We Got Rhythm
March 29/Fifth Wednesday of Lent “Praiseworthy and exalted above all forever.” ~ Daniel 3.53 Sometimes prayer flows easily through our hearts and souls to God’s ears; other times, our spirits are silenced by anxiety or doubt. In these moments of incapacity, we might consider reaching for the Bible, to let God pray through us and with us in the words…
Song 30: Are You There, God?
March 28/Fifth Tuesday of Lent O LORD, hear my prayer, and let my cry come to you. Hide not your face from me in the day of my distress.Incline your ear to me; in the day when I call, answer me speedily. ~ Ps 102.2-3 When the road gets rough, or life goes awry — or as the psalmist puts…
Song 29: Letting Go
March 27/Fifth Monday of Lent The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. // He makes me lie down in green pastures: he leads me beside still waters; // He restores my soul. He leads me in right paths for his name’s sake. // Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil: for you…
Song 28: Sit. Stay. Heed.
March 25/Fourth Saturday of LentFeast of the Annunciation Sacrifice and offering you do not delight in, but you have dug out my ears.To do your will, O God, I delight in; your teaching is within my belly [lit. transl]. ~ Ps 40.7, 9 Obedience — how it goes against the human grain. We no sooner construct a set of rules…
Song 27: Something Wicked This Way Comes
March 24/Fourth Friday of Lent The LORD confronts the evildoers, to destroy remembrance of them from the earth. ~ Ps 34.17 I have to say that I just don’t see it. Unscrupulous bankers and crypto traders, dishonest politicians, negligent or abusive parents, mass shooters – I don’t always see God confronting such evildoers. Often, in fact, I see the opposite: …