“When I called upon him, the God of my justice heard me: when I was in distress, thou hast enlarged me. Have mercy on me: and hear my prayer. O ye sons of men, how long will you be dull of heart? Why do you love vanity and seek after lying? Know ye also that the Lord hath made his holy one wonderful: the Lord will hear me when I shall cry unto him. Be ye angry, and sin not: the things you say in your hearts, be sorry for them upon your beds. Offer up the sacrifice of justice, and trust in the Lord.”
This is a triumphant Psalm! This speaks from a departure from one of life’s many winters: “For winter is now past, the rain is over and gone. The flowers have appeared in our land” (Song 2:11-12). Though these will continue through the end of your life, it is important to enjoy the flowers and give thanks when you see them. Inspired with confidence, you can look at all the prayers of yours that God has answered, and take heart that He has heard you. He is called “the God of your justice,” because all the goodness in your heart has been gifted to you by Him. You cannot love without being loved, and by receiving the infinite love of God, you will become a wise, loving lover of your neighbor: “He brought me into the cellar of wine,” that is, into the divine mysteries and the true wisdom of love, “he set in order charity in me” (Song 2:4) by giving you the grace to love. Coming from one of life’s many trials, then, you can joyfully say that God took you from distress and enlarged your heart to a greater capacity to love. All trials are meant to make you love more or better, seeing the bond of love withstand yet another heaping of adversity. Thus, the divine Canticle continues: “The flowers have appeared in our land, the time of pruning is come” (Song 2:12), “every [branch] that beareth fruit, he will purge it, that it may bring forth more fruit” (John 15:2). With this greater ability to love, it is good to gather graces for the next trial, thus the Psalm asks for mercy and that your prayers may be heard. With your love story and the victories therein before your eyes, you can look to those whose reward is on earth and ask, “Why do you spend yourself on such trivial things?” and with a compassionate heart pray for them. Why must your hearts be dull, not illuminated by divine love? For “that was the true light, which enlighteneth every man that cometh into this world” (John 1:9). While the next verse, “he hath made his holy one wonderful” may seem rather adroit, it continues the theme of your victory of love. For while this refers in the utmost way to Christ, it also refers to His beauty that shines through you. Be honest about your gifts, and realize that He addresses you as beautiful: “How beautiful art thou, my love, how beautiful art thou!” You are the one that Christ loves: “Now there was leaning on Jesus’ bosom one of his disciples, whom Jesus loved” (John 13:23). Thus He has made you wonderful, one of His holy ones, and will hear you when you call Him: “The Lord is far from the wicked: and he will hear the prayers of the just” (Proverbs 15:29). He hears your every breath, your every wail, your every loving word. He is like a loving mother, attentive to your every noise, that He may catch every moment and cherish it. He hears you when you are crying, and only waits to take action to give you a more beautiful relief in time. Cry out to Him with the depths of your heart, in praise, in sorrow, in need, in love. You may hear the reply, “What am I to do? How can my prayer be heard as yours are?” “Master, what shall we do?” (Luke 3:12). The answer is simple: Sin not. Anger may arise for your falling into sin, the world for its sins, or natural anger that needs controlling, but love and meekness will move past all three of these, yielding a loving heart towards yourself, the world, and all circumstances. This starts, however, by turning from sin, internal and external. “Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips glorify me, but their heart is far from me” (Isaias 29:13); “You are like to whited sepluchres, which outwardly appear to men beautiful, but within are full of dead men’s bones, and of all filthiness” (Matthew 23:27). Therefore, the call is to bring “into captivity every understanding unto the obedience of Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:5), that is, to transform every internal dialogue and action into one of love. Regret what isn’t love in your heart by constantly being attentive to the voice of love, that you may be constantly aware of what the Holy Spirit is asking you to do. This attentiveness is necessary even when you are at rest: “In my bed by night I sought him whom my soul loveth” (Song 3:1). Rather than afflicting yourself as repayment to the Lord, offer Him the sacrifice of justice, a morally upright life: “He that followeth justice and mercy, shall find life, justice, and glory” (Proverbs 21:21), and trust in the merciful love of God. Live the life of the resurrection: “For we are buried together with him by baptism into death; that as Christ is risen from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we also may walk in newness of life” (Romans 6:3). Live on love, in love, and for love. He will not allow a wanting heart that desires justice to go barren: “Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after justice: for they shall have their fill” (Matthew 6:6).