The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul;
his commandments are the wisdom of the simple. (Ps 19:8)
Psalm 119, part of which is used in today's liturgy, is the longest psalm in the Old Testament. It is a hymn of praise and thanksgiving for the Torah and what it contains. The psalm also is David's prayer for wisdom to understand the laws, the Commandments. Also in this psalm he prays for the rewards promised to those who keep God's laws.
It is Saturday. Hopefully you will enjoy a break from the weekly routine and find some time for you and the Lord. You might consider some of the parts of Psalm 119 presented in the liturgy today.
You might like what David says: at time God's way is not easy! Some readers and prayers of this psalm are people who grouse because the Commandments and the precepts of our Church impede what they believe should their freedom.
Saints, great teachers and Jesus himself endeavored to demonstrate that God's laws are not onerous. What the Commandments teach for the journey of one's life is the way to true freedom. As difficult as they may seem or be, God's laws are actually the keys to a genuine independence.
Blessed are they who observe his decrees,
who seek him with all their hearts.
A reward for a serious Lent is discovery. Those who seek the Lord will find him and if they cannot, surely God will seek to find them. Today you might consider this: "How is it possible for me to seek the Lord with all my heart?" For those driven, the compulsive among us, by work, a demanding schedule, family obligations etc., the answer is not easy. Those trapped in immorality find no sense in God's laws. They are interferences.
Whatever reason one uses to avoid time alone with God, it is usually little more than fear -- the fear of facing who I am. Spiritual directors, especially the saints, seek to teach that we should consistently remind ourselves that we have been in the mind of our Creator God from all eternity. As well we should always remember that we are a cause of joy for that same Creator God if we seek to follow him.
Time, a regular amount of time with God in quiet reflection and prayer will change any heart to see that God's way is truly the Freedom Road.
