Psalm Reflection: The Second Sunday of Lent - Cycle B

“I will walk before the Lord, in the land of the living.” - Psalms 116

The goal of most any race or competition is to win.

There can also be a heartfelt desire to have fun, to do one’s best, or to improve, but in the end someone will still be first. 

The Christian life is compared to a race by St. Paul in his second letter to St. Timothy: 

“I have competed well; I have finished the race; I have kept the faith” (2 Timothy 4:7). 

However, this does not mean that Paul is saying he beat everyone else at being the best Christian. It means that he persevered and keep running despite the obstacles and the difficulties that he faced. He had the same endurance in his faith that is needed when you run a long race, and he did so with numerous traveling companions that he references in his many letters: Barnabas, Luke, John Mark, Silas, Timothy, Demas, Aristarchus, Gaius, Trophimus, Tychicus, Erastus, Onesimus, Epaphras, Justus, and Archippus to name a few.

The mistake that we can often make in the Christian life is to treat it like a competition. We compare ourselves too quickly to others, we judge them and seek to exploit or gossip about their faults to make ourselves look better or holier and “pull ahead” in the race. 

The problem with crossing the finish line first is that you cross it alone. 

When we become focused on being better than everyone else, or too concerned with our own image, then we begin, in racing terms, to separate ourselves from “the pack.” We cross the finish line alone, leaving the pack in the dust.

What could be considered a huge victory in any other race is a destructive path for the Christian life.

“The LORD God said: It is not good for the man to be alone.” - Genesis 2:18

We need each other.

We need people to walk with us on this journey.

We need people to run this race with.

There are always people running ahead of us, showing us the path forward: priests, sister, parents, godparents, sponsors and ministers.

There are always people running behind us, those who we are seeking to lead and be a faithful example to: children, godchildren, mentees, and those we manage or lead.

There are always those who can run with us to encourage us and who commit to help us weather the obstacles of the race together: spouses, friends, family and community.

When the Psalmist talks about “walking before the Lord,” he is not saying we should go first in the race, before the Lord. He is saying that we are meant to walk before God’s presence, and one way He is present to us is in community: 

“For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them” (Matthew 18:20).

In the Weight of Glory, C.S. Lewis wrote: 

“Next to the Blessed Sacrament itself, your neighbor is the holiest object presented to your senses.” 

We walk before the Lord when we walk with the Body of Christ. When we strive to surround ourselves with virtuous people and root ourselves in faith-centered community, we are experiencing the presence of God in our lives. The Catechism of the Catholic Church reminds us: 

“faith is not an isolated act. No one can believe alone, just as no one can live alone. You have not given yourself faith as you have not given yourself life. The believer has received faith from others and should hand it on to others. Our love for Jesus and for our neighbor impels us to speak to others about our faith. Each believer is thus a link in the great chain of believers. I cannot believe without being carried by the faith of others, and by my faith I help support others in the faith." - CCC 166

We cannot live this life on our own. It is not a race or a competition. That is what the world convinces us everything is. Sure, when we succeed or outshine others and we are recognized we feel good, but does that ultimately draw us deeper into relationship with others or does it often drive people away? What do we sacrifice when we are more concerned with personal achievement than our need for community? If we try to live our lives for ourselves, we will only reap isolation, loneliness, and anxiety:

“If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other." - St. Teresa of Calcutta

We are made for union with God, who is a Trinity of persons, a community in Himself. If we are made in His image and likeness (Genesis 1:26-27), then we are made for community. 

The gift of community becomes so much more accessible when we slow down, return to the pack, and run together. You are not alone, and you were never meant to live this life on your own or for yourself.

Spend some extra time with family this week. Reconnect with friends. Let Sunday be a true day of rest and leisure with those you love, and if it cannot be that day then set aside a different consistent day of the week. Have a holy curiosity about everyone you meet, seeking to know their story and see how the Lord can bless you through them.

In the words of St. Clement of Alexandria: 

"When you see a brother, you see God."

Go find your people, spend time with them, and you will be walking before the Lord.

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 25th, 2024, which is the Second Sunday of Lent - Cycle B: Psalms 116:10, 15, 16-17, 18-19.