Father Perry D. Leiker, pastor.
“Looking Ahead” is our weekly reflection on the Sunday readings, curated by Father Perry. This week, we celebrate the 20th Sunday in Ordinary Time.
By Father Perry D. Leiker, pastor
Once again our liturgy invites us to pray Psalm 34 —
“Taste and see the goodness of the Lord.”
Within the context of this repeated refrain, the psalmist says even more specifically —
“I sought the Lord, and he answered me
and delivered me from all my fears.”
In a beautiful liturgical song by Marty Haughen, this truth is expressed thus —
“Shepherd me, O God, beyond my wants,
beyond my fears, from death into life.”
Put this way, we profess a faith in our God who leads and guides us all through life and even through death. Every fear, every want, every need, every doubt, in these he wishes to be present, and leading and loving us. Some, however, lament that they cried out to God and he obviously didn’t hear their prayers. The healing they sought never came. The job they needed never materialized. A problem went unresolved. Why? How come? What did I do to deserve or not to deserve this? In the short run, things do not always work out as we want them to. But aren’t we in this for the long haul? Our race isn’t 100 meters; it is a marathon!
We seek what we seek, and often find something else; often, we discover something more. We begin with one dream and often discover several others along the way that are so much more than we could have ever hoped for.
If we don’t let go of Plan A, we can’t be ready for or even notice Plan B. The point is that God does indeed stay with us, shepherding and guiding us all along the way. He never leaves our side. He sees us through to the end —
“Shepherd me, O God, beyond my wants,
beyond my fears, from death into life.”
Quote of the week |
“Spiritual life is like living water that springs up from the very depths of our own spiritual experience. In spiritual life everyone has to drink from his or her own well.” — St. Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153).
Featured image —
Photo by Nikolett Emmert on Unsplash
