Psalm Reflection: The Fourth Sunday of Lent - Cycle C

“Taste and see the goodness of the Lord.” - Psalm 34

I really enjoy cooking shows, especially anything involving Gordon Ramsay (#obsessed), but I must admit I have a love-hate relationship with them. I used to be a chef, so I love watching and being reminded of what it is like to be in that world, learn new recipes and techniques, and see people create incredible dishes. At the same time, I hate them because they make me so stinking hungry.

It is one thing to see these dishes been created and tasted on TV, but it is an entirely different experience to actually be the one eating the dish and experiencing it first hand. The more I watch, the more I recognize how much cannot see or know unless I can taste it for myself.

When I was reflecting on the Psalm this week, I realized that I usually interpret it as an invitation to both taste and see the goodness of the Lord. 

[Come and both] taste and see the goodness of the Lord.

However, what if it is a set of instructions? 

What if the Psalmist is telling us that in order to see the goodness of the Lord you must first taste it? 

Taste [first] and [then you will] see the goodness of the Lord.

There is only so much a person can learn about the Lord. We can only comprehend a finite amount of information, and even if we could consume more, it would never be an adequate substitute for the real, lived experience of having a relationship with God.

We are meant to experience Him first, and then we see.

This is so counter to the way we do things in our world. We want all the information and evidence up front before we decide if we are going to do something or not. We want the proven research and statistics before we make a change or a commitment to something new. 

Faith does not work that way. The Devil knows everything there is to know about God, and yet he is not in right relationship with God. We can fall into the same trap by consuming spiritual information and checking religious boxes, but not actually encountering God in authentic prayer and the Sacraments.

This is part of the beauty of Jesus instituting the Eucharist. He offers Himself to us, desiring to encounter us through taste first. Only once we receive Him in this way, filled with Sacramental grace, can we begin to see Him more deeply in ways we could not have seen Him before.

This week, try to spend some extra time with Jesus in the Eucharist, either by going to an additional daily Mass throughout the week or spending some time in Eucharistic Adoration. Consider being trained as an Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion or as one who takes the Eucharist to the sick and the homebound. Whatever you do, recognize that we cannot be in relationship with God if we do not receive Him. So, when you receive Him, specifically in the Eucharist, pray for openness to receive Him wholeheartedly and to see Him more clearly in every aspect of your life.

I am praying of you, please pray for me, and I will see you in the Eucharist.

Matt