Tuesday of the Fourth Week of Lent
Daily Prayer
Almighty and Eternal God, who abided in the bulwarks of Jerusalem and led her to victory. Teach us that You abide in hearts that are just and true. Grant that we may be so fashioned by Your grace as to become a dwelling pleasing to You. Amen
Scripture Readings
Ezekiel 47:1-9, 12; John 5:1-16
Scripture Quote
Psalm 46:5-6
There is a stream whose runlets gladden the city of God,
the holy dwelling of the Most High.
God is in its midst; it shall not be shaken;
God will help it at break of day.
Reflection
During the writing of Psalms 46, 47 and 48, to be read as a trilogy, it was a devastating time for Jerusalem. She was under siege by a foreign army. While the psalmist is not specific, this psalm most likely references the Assyrians during the reign of King Hezekiah of Judah. The Assyrians had already ravaged the whole countryside of Judah and destroyed the rest of Judah’s cities. Jerusalem stood alone and was besieged. But God protected Jerusalem from her enemy and gave her victory.
The psalm is powerful in its imagery. God abided in the tabernacle of the Temple of Jerusalem, When the psalmist writes “God is in its midst,” he means that God Almighty was really there, in the bulwarks of the city.
Where do you find God? Saint Augustine of Hippo said, “God is the one who is closer to us than we are to ourselves.” If we believe this fully, then there is no place where we cannot seek and find God. Wherever we are, God is there.
Reflection Questions
How can I praise God in my prayers and in my actions today?
Can I recognize God in every person I meet?
Excerpts from the Lectionary for Mass for Use in the Dioceses of the United States of America, second typical edition © 2001, 1998, 1997, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc., Washington, DC. Used with permission. All rights reserved. No portion of this text may be reproduced by any means without permission in writing from the copyright owner.
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