A Jesuit Catholic University
in Omaha, Nebraska, since 1878

[225] Isa 55:10-11 Ps 34:4-5, 6-7, 16-17, 18-19 Matt 6:7-15

Weekly Guide for Daily Prayer The Daily Reflections

I’d like to start the reflection today by looking at the responsorial psalm.  The last two verses of the responsorial psalm state the following:

“Yahweh is near to the broken-hearted, he helps those whose spirit is crushed.  Through hardships without number beset the upright, Yahweh brings rescue for them all.” -Psalms 34:18-19

Broken hearts come in a lot of forms.  Sometimes hearts break romantically, and other times they break in something that seems like failure.  Sometimes hearts break when you don’t get into that medical school you wanted to attend.  Other times, hearts break when people in the family die, when someone you love makes poor decisions.  Hearts break for all sorts of reasons.

Heartbreaks are always unexpected.  You never thought Grandpa wouldn’t come home that day, and you certainly never thought that was the last kiss.  You didn’t plan to spend the rest of your life in a wheelchair.  Whatever broke your heart, one thing was certain.  You didn’t plan on it, and you had no idea it would hurt this badly. 

Today’s responsorial song reminds us that God didn’t promise there wouldn’t be heartbreaks.  He promised that we wouldn’t be alone.  He promised to “free me from all my fears” (Psalms 34:4-5), but he didn’t promise he would eliminate them.  Rescue by God doesn’t mean we are going to be swept off our feet.  No, rescue by God is much more profound than that.  When God rescues us he molds us into our best selves.  As our hearts break, God draws closer to us.  As our spirits fall, we can choose to lean into God.  Broken hearts cause us to rethink our dreams and wishes.  They cause us to value each day in its pure glory. 

Fully human, Christ experiences heartbreaks.  I think we forget that sometimes.  Imagine the heartbreaking betrayal of Judas.   Imagine how your heart would break as whips tear your skin to pieces.  Imagine how your heart would break as you watched your mother watch you die from the foot of the cross.  Christ’s heart breaks every time we turn away from him.  His heart breaks every time we tear ourselves down.  His heart aches when we hurt. 

In today’s gospel, fully human, Christ gave us the perfect prayer to deal with the heartbreaks we experience in life. 

“Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name.”  In this line Christ reminds us that even in our broken times, we have a Father in heaven, who loves us very much.  “Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.”  Here, Christ dares us to have faith to do God’s will even when it doesn’t make sense.  When we are broken, we must remember that God has something in store for us greater than anything we could ever imagine and more impactful than any heartbreak. “Give us this day our daily bread.”  In Jesus’ time bread, was the main staple people ate.  Meat was a luxury, but bread was everyday.  Within the context of heartbreak, daily bread can mean strength.  Lord, give me the strength to make it through today.  “And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.”  Forgiveness is critical in dealing with our brokenness.  We have to forgive others, but we also have to forgive ourselves.  We have to let go of those things that are hurting us.  We pray for the strength to forgive.  “Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.”  Sometimes, it can be so tempting to give up.  It can be tempting to give up on God, on ourselves, and on other people.  Even in our most broken times, we pray for the strength to resist temptation to quit. 

So in summary, today Christ is reminding us: 1. that it is okay to hurt; 2. he wants us to know that he feels and understands the profound brokenness humans feel; and 3. he wants us to reflect on the words of the Our Father within the context of pain and hurt.