Psalm 62: “In you alone is my soul at rest. My help comes from you.”

American writer, H. L. Mencken, often gave us more sparks than profundity -- though he's fun to read. In a preface to one of his books he wrote that as he got older, he thought it too bad that we have only one life to live. His thought was that the human being should have at least two: "One for observing and studying the world, and the other for formulating and settling down his conclusions about it. Forced, as he (any human being) is by the present irrational arrangement, to undertake the second function before he has made any substantial progress with the first, he limps along like an athlete only half trained."

We can all recognize how ill prepared we often feel for life, no matter our age. From the Lord's teaching we have the guidelines; theoretically we know what we should do. But we are still impatient with matters which we thought we had accepted. Snap judgments still come all too easily. In quiet moments we think we understand how we should react to disdain but in the actual moment, that's all forgotten. We understand that patience and gentleness are the right way, yet...we are always still learning -- or at least being taught.

The Christian recognition that we are all inevitably flawed and will remain that way, that we need God's continual help and forgiveness -- this is something we can bring to supplement Mencken's vision.

Yes, theoretically, we never have enough time to observe and understand our life; yes, it might be helpful if we had another lifetime in which to practice the following of Christ and his way of living.... But all that relies too much on mere human ingenuity, intellect, will, etc. Our fumbling and stumbling are really constant invitations to leave a bit more, a lot more, up to God’s grace.

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!”

Reply to Fr. Don at: DTalafous@csbsju.edu

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