I know this Responsorial Psalm is familiar to all of us. As a child I used to think it was silly. Who would harden his or her heart on hearing God’s voice? From that perspective, I thought of this as being one of the easier things to do. Then as I got older, the depth of what was being asked became clearer. God doesn’t speak to me, at least in English. He doesn’t tap me on the shoulder and say in an unambiguous way: “Patrick, you really should be kinder to that person.” I don’t get emails from God reminding me that I haven’t been to Reconciliation in several weeks. No, “hearing” God’s voice is really more a matter of interpreting for yourself where you know God is leading you. As I write this, it’s the third day of Lent. As you read this we will be into the third week of Lent. I know I will be chafing under the yoke of my Lenten promises and moaning to myself that Easter is so late this year and, with some years, by now Easter would have come (conveniently ignoring that Lent started later). So in a real sense I do risk hardening my heart at the call of God’s voice. Hopefully the Psalm will help me remember to soften it a little. |