Seeking the Lord, calling for his help
Psalm 34:2-7. June 23, 2023 - Friday, 11th Week in Ordinary Time
The psalmist says that he sought the Lord and the Lord answered him (Ps 34:5). What does it mean to seek the Lord? Prophet Isaiah explains that it means to repent. “Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the LORD, that he may have compassion on him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon” (Is 55:7). Repentance is at the heart of the message of the New Testament. Both John the Baptist and Jesus began their ministry with a call to repentance. And it means to return to the Lord and change our way of thinking.
When John the Baptist preached the baptism of repentance, he told his listeners to embrace a new way of life marked by sharing and justice. To everyone, he said: “Whoever has two tunics is to share with him who has none, and whoever has food is to do likewise” (Luke 3:11). To tax collectors he said, “Collect no more than you are authorized to do” (Luke 3:13) and to the soldiers, “Do not extort money from anyone by threats or by false accusation, and be content with your wages” (Luke 3:14). Then, he directed everyone to Jesus, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world (see John 1:29).
When Jesus began his ministry, he called us to follow Him. This call to follow Jesus captures the essence of repentance. Like all generations of Christians, we leave behind everything, follow in the footstep of Jesus, and let ourselves be shaped by his way of life, personality, and teaching. From the moment we came to Jesus, our process of transformation has begun. We are called to become Christlike. And the more we seek the Lord, the more our faces become radiant with joy. “Look to him that you may be radiant with joy, let your faces not be downcast” (Ps 34:6).
As Christians, we face many challenges. Many governments persecute us, and we do not know where to go and what to do. But, in such moments, let us look to Jesus Christ, “the founder and perfecter of our faith who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God” (Heb. 12:2). He is the source of our strength and wisdom. He has already saved us from the power of sin and death, and he will not let us be overcome by any terrors or troubles in life. We are those poor ones who call upon the name of the Lord Jesus, and we shall not be disappointed. “For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” (Rom 10:13).