For his anger lasts but a moment; a lifetime, his good will. At nightfall, weeping enters in, but with the dawn, rejoicing. ~ Ps 30.6 For most of us, the worries cluster most densely at night. Surrounded by darkness, with only the void of sleep in front of us, and the light of day a long way off, we toss, we…
Song 22: On Our Heels, On Our Knees
March 21/Third Saturday of Lent For you are not pleased with sacrifices; should I offer a burnt offering, you would not accept it.My sacrifice, O God, is a crushed spirit; a heart crushed and humbled, O God, you will not spurn. ~ Ps 51.18-19 At such a time as this, when Masses and church services are indefinitely suspended, and the…
Song 21: The Voice of God
March 20/Third Friday of Lent “Hear, my people, and I will admonish you; O Israel, will you not hear me?If only my people would hear me, and Israel walk in my ways!” ~ Ps 81.9, 14 We sit down to pray, and immediately start talking. Our individual prayers will vary according to our circumstances, of course, but they pretty much…
Song 20: A Goodly Heritage
March 19/Third Thursday of Lent 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. …
Song 19: Get Up and Bar the Door
March 18/Third Wednesday of Lent For he has strengthened the bars of your gates. ~ Ps 147.13 Most of us are not very good at setting boundaries. Some of us find it difficult to delineate work time versus family time, answering emails, reading documents, or taking calls at night, over the weekend, even on a family vacation. Others might struggle…
Song 18: Lost
March 17/Third Tuesday of Lent Your ways, O LORD, make known to me; teach me your paths.Guide me in your truth and teach me. ~ Ps 25.4-5 It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single (or married) man in possession of a car, and in want of directions, will not ask for guidance. Of course, now that we have…
Song 17: Beyond the Fevered Strain
March 16/Third Monday of Lent As the hind longs for the running waters, so my soul longs for you, O God.Athirst is my soul for God, the living God. When shall I go and behold the face of God? ~ Ps 42.2-3 Sometimes, when we pause for a moment and we’re not busy being, well, busy, we experience a deep…
Song 16: Forgiveness from A to Z
March 14/Second Saturday of Lent For as the heavens are high above the earth, so surpassing is his kindness toward those who fear him. As far as the east is from the west, so far has he put our transgressions from us. ~ Ps 103.11-12 Forgiveness is out of fashion these days, viewed in many quarters as a sign of weakness. Witness…
Song 15: Dark Inscrutable Workmanship
March 13/Second Friday of Lent When the LORD called down a famine on the land and ruined the crop that sustained them, He sent a man before them, Joseph, sold as a slave. ~ Ps 105.16-17 The book assigned for the high school Bible History course I took was The Book of the Acts of God (or as we referred…
Song 14: Down to the River
March 12/Second Thursday of Lent He is like a tree planted near running water, That yields its fruit in due season, and whose leaves never fade. ~ Ps 1.3 Having grown up in a coastal city, I have often experienced the presence of God by the water. The powerful swells that form far out in the ocean; the froth-flecked waves that…