Fr. Don's Daily Reflection - May 16, 2024
Psalm 62: “In you alone is my soul at rest. My help comes from you.”
It was sometime after graduation when I ran into one of our most exuberant students in a shopping mall. For a teacher it was great delight to encounter a face and personality that during the school year had always lit up any place where he was.
A glow around certain people is unavoidably attractive and even inspiring. It might come, of course, from many causes: youth, health, natural beauty, a lively spirit, an optimistic attitude, a ready smile. Whatever the cause, most of us find it encouraging and uplifting. In any case, it certainly beats a grumpy face and a bored or dismal attitude.
In the book of Exodus the author says of Moses: “As Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the two tablets of the commandments in his hands, he did not know that the skin of his face had become radiant while he conversed with the Lord” (34:29). The story suggests that there is a profoundly based radiance that comes from the right relation to God, from intimacy with God.
It is a happiness that has its roots in God and shows itself in how we act, talk and look. If we make our relation to God, a life of prayer, the top priority, it will eventually be evident without the help of wrinkle cream and the right shampoo.
Someone has written, “There is no cosmetic for beauty like happiness.” It gives us a confidence and trust that cannot but show themselves in how we talk and act. Radiance is a good word for it. We seek a close union with God in Christ and the radiance follows.
Psalm 27: “I believe I shall see the Lord’s goodness / in the land of the living.
Wait for the Lord; be strong; / be stouthearted, and wait for the Lord!”
