3rd Sunday of Easter
R. Lord, let your face shine on us.
Written by Casey Rehling
Because of my own human weakness – and probably a hefty dose of pride – when I find myself in times of distress, I often attempt a laundry list of self-fixes before turning to the Lord. Whereas the Psalmist – when in his own time of anguish - begs the Lord to let His face shine upon him (us).
In biblical days, the Jewish people had experienced significant trials for generations but placed unwavering faith in the Lord, and continually begged Him for His protection, His mercy, and His peace. How blessed are we to have a God who heard the cries of His people and delivered a thousand-fold? The Lord has shined His face on us through the gift of His beloved son Jesus!
And now, we no longer wait in hope to see His face. We have been blessed with the gift of being able to gaze upon His face, and receive His body, blood, soul and divinity in the Eucharist. The Lord makes himself eternally present on an altar or in a monstrance in a chapel and wants nothing more than to shine His face on us. But how often do we live as if God is still a distant being who can’t relate to our sufferings, instead of Emmanuel, God with Us?
When we find ourselves in times of distress, small or large, what is our first reaction? Do we try every human recourse possible before even bringing our pain to the Lord? Do we trust in the Lord’s goodness towards His children? I know often when I’m grappling with something, I will seek counsel from friends, spend weeks of research formulating my thoughts before I even consider bringing it to Jesus. It’s as if He is my boss and I must craft a perfectly vetted business case before pitching Him to hear my prayer. Jesus doesn’t want our perfectly laid out plans. He wants our hearts.
We have a savior that not only intimately understands our trials but also provides us our recourse. Jesus wept when his friends died. Jesus hungered when he fasted. Jesus felt physical pain and begged the Father to take His cup from Him. But Jesus always embraced the will of the Father and trusted in His goodness. He became flesh so that He can meet us exactly where we are, and then call us to something greater.
And while God’s people spent generations begging the Lord to shine His face on us, we have a savior that begs us to let Him shine His face on us. Let Him.
Casey is an Aggie Catholic that lives in Lewisville, TX with his wife Rebecca and his 4 children. Casey and his family are parishioners at St. Ann in Coppell, TX. He is passionate (in no particular order) about worship music, the Texas Rangers, The Office, and helping other men find holy community - check out stannmenssummit.org if you are too.
Pray with today’s psalm.