Fr. Don's Daily Reflection - December 23, 2024
Psalm 62: “In you alone is my soul at rest. My help comes from You.”
Most of us at some idealistic moment of our life have had our ideals severely tested or even dashed by what we see in others -- and maybe in ourselves. We've thought of the Christian community as a place of peace and good will, mutual concern, only to be hurt by a vicious tongue, a grouchy member of the parish team or sexual exploitation by a pastor.
If we know ourselves well, we may be able to rebound from some of these hurts as we recognize the same behavior in ourselves. The Christian faith presumes as a basic tenet that we are all deficient in some ways, that we all need healing and salvation.
Some of our shock may come from too little experience or lack of self-knowledge. The larger and more flagrant offenses against our ideals may require treatment and time and cannot be minimized. The smaller, daily ways in which we let others down require forgiveness, looking at ourselves and a continuance of realistic hope. We expect that others will get over and actually forgive our indifference, our flare-ups, our laziness, our loose tongue.
Life could not go on if we or they simply accumulated and kept a file of hurts. Possibly this is where the idea of beginning each day anew comes in. Instead of carrying over to tomorrow the hurts of today, we try with God's help -- and Christ's example -- to start with a new and clean slate.
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!”
