Fr. Don's Daily Reflection - December 4, 2024
Psalm 62: “In you alone is my soul at rest. My help comes from You.”
We can only make the Psalms our own prayers if we're willing to let pass some of the more distasteful or incomprehensible elements we meet there. The authors call down God's rage on their opponents; we don't have to. We don't have to remind God of all the "great things" we have done.
But we can find in the Psalms many a phrase which can serve as a theme for the day, an expression of what we hope for. “The Lord is my strength and my salvation.” “In you, O Lord, I trust.” “In you alone is my soul at rest.” Or, what often strikes me in Psalm (50)51,14: “With a spirit of fervor sustain me” and right before that, “Give me again the joy of your help.”
That last verse might be good to pull out when one feels less than excited about the upcoming day and its tasks. We can, of course, do simply natural human things that galvanize. But repeating these phrases as a sort of mantra might help to change our attitude. "Give me again the joy of your help." Help me, Lord, to be grateful for my life and work and to show it by my spirit, by some joy.
Despite an occasional bad or less than fervent mood, we may be able to recall happy elements within, e.g., a generally very happy life, good work to do and wonderful people to work with. A little reflection may bring up thoughts of my good fortune relative to the suffering around us, the disabled, urge me to show some goodwill and love to all those around me. We could end up thinking there is really no serious reason for not feeling grateful and even joyous.
Let me not waste the day, my time in listlessness, aimlessness, boredom, lassitude. Help me face each moment, each task, each person I encounter, with enthusiasm and appreciation, with my whole heart and strength. Help me to be fervent rather than frightened, generous rather than grumbling, hopeful rather than fatalistic, encouraging rather than dispiriting, eager rather than tepid. "With a spirit of fervor sustain me, Lord."
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!”
