Psalm Reflection: The First Sunday of Lent - Cycle B

“Your ways, O Lord, are love and truth to those who keep your covenant.” - Psalms 25

The Emperor Moth 

A man found a cocoon of an emperor moth. He took it home to watch the moth hatch. On that day a small opening appeared. He sat and watched the moth struggle for several hours to force its body through the tiny hole. Then the moth stopped as if it had gotten as far as it could and could go no further.

The man in his kindness decided to help, so he took a pair of scissors and snipped off the remaining bit of cocoon. The moth emerged easily, but it had a swollen body and small, shriveled wings. The man continued to watch the moth expecting, at any moment, the wings would enlarge and expand to help support its body. Neither happened and the little moth spent the rest of its short life crawling around with a swollen body and shriveled legs. It was never able to fly.

The man in his kindness and haste did not understand that struggling to get out of the cocoon was the only way to force fluid from the body into the moth’s wings. Freedom and flight would only come after the struggle. By depriving the moth of a struggle, the man deprived the moth of life.

Unknown

There are many things in life that can seem cruel, unnecessary or unjust at first glance. 

We recently welcomed our third child, Sophia, into the world, and I was reflecting on how cruel childbirth must seem to babies in the womb. They are warm, cozy, close to their mother and constantly comforted by her voice. Then they are suddenly evicted from their home and thrust into a world of loud noises, bright lights, cold air, and people touching, poking and prodding at them. It is no wonder why they scream and cry so much! From one perspective, it can seem like complete torture, but from our perspective it is joyful and necessary for the child to grow and develop.

The Psalmist says, “Your ways, O Lord, are love and truth to those who keep your covenant.” We could contrast this by also saying “Your ways, O Lord, are cruel and unusual to those who do not draw near to you.” This is not to say that God punishes those far from Him and only rewards those who are faithful. Rather, it is a recognition of the fact that we are being invited into a relationship with God: when we lean into the intimacy, love and forgiveness God offers us in that relationship, we can better understand the events of our lives and have joy in them, even though there is still struggle and suffering.

The greatest friendships and the best couples are not those who never struggle. In fact, those relationships are, more often than not, superficial and fake. The best relationships are between those who have struggled well and have learned to weather the storms of life together without giving up.

We cannot understand the “ways” of God if we do not have a relationship with Him and learn to weather the storms of life with Him by our side. If we do not have a relationship with Him, we will not be able to see our lives from His perspective. We can mistakenly perceive Him to be cruel, distant, or even abusive. We can focus too narrowly on our way and become quick to label everything negative or unfavorable in our lives as an injustice. In doing so, we fail to recognize that God’s perfect justice and providence are always at work behind the scenes in ways we do not recognize that will lead to our greatest possible good (Romans 8:28).

If you want to become more familiar with God’s ways, draw near to Jesus. Jesus says Himself:  “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6). When we draw near to Jesus and walk with our suffering Savior, we can begin to understand how there can be a greater purpose and a larger story behind our own difficulties. 

When we keep our covenant relationship with the Lord through the Sacraments, we see that His ways are of love and truth. We are not quick to judge, doubt or disparage Him, because in drawing near to Him we can begin to understand and see the world from His perspective. It is appropriate that Ash Wednesday today falls on Valentine’s Day, so that as we begin the penitential and often difficult season of Lent, we can keep God’s love in the forefront of our minds, no matter how difficult things become.

Next time that you are struggling, remember that you are the Emperor moth: this time of trial or suffering, though uncomfortable, painful and discouraging, has the capability of transforming you for the good.

This is not a punishment.

This is how you form your wings.

Embrace the struggle, my friend.

Soon enough, you will be flying.

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

Matt

This reflection is based on the Responsorial Psalm for this Sunday, February 18th, 2024, which is The First Sunday of Lent - Cycle B: Psalms 25:4-5, 6-7, 8-9.