February 24/First Tuesday of Lent
I sought the LORD, and he answered me and delivered me from all my fears.
When the poor one called out, the LORD heard, and from all his distress he saved him.
When the just cry out, the LORD hears them, and from all their distress he rescues them. ~ Ps 34.5, 7, 18
The other day a friend who has waited long and with much frustration for a promotion said ruefully, “I know that God’s time is not our time, but God needs to get a new battery for his watch!” It is not always evident that God answers, or even hears, our prayers. Specific petitions go unanswered, or are not answered to our liking. In addition to whatever challenges we ourselves face, people close to us and distant strangers we read about in the news experience all kinds of turmoil and pain, and we are left feeling helpless. The world, it seems, is defined by suffering. And one of the central challenges for any believer is to confront God’s role in that suffering. I am no theologian, and cannot justify life’s pain in the context of an all-loving, all-powerful, all-knowing God. But I do know this, and today’s psalm richly affirms it: God is with us in the midst of our troubles, standing with us and beside us. Buried in sorrow or distress, we may not feel his presence, but he is there nonetheless, walking through the valley of deep darkness with us. How do we know this? Through the witness of Christ, who in becoming human also became powerless, like us, in the face of great evil. As theologian John Thiel observes, “Jesus’ own helplessness before suffering and death manifests God’s compassionate closeness to the evil circumstances in which human suffering unfolds.” Three times Psalm 34 underscores this compassionate closeness. “I sought the LORD, and he answered me.” “When the poor one called out, the LORD heard.” “When the just cry out, the LORD hears them.” Three verses, one point: God hears and responds to the pain of his people with his loving, healing presence.
Lord God, Creator and preserver of us all, Hear me when I cry out to you, and be with me in times of confusion and pain. Amen.
For today’s readings, click here: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/022426.cfm
To hear Musica Fiata sing “Exquisivi Dominum” by Heinrich Schütz, click here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Lw8sTgmuxA
