Monday of the Fourth Week of Easter
(Psalm 42:2-3; 43:3-4)
In October, 1995, approximately one million African-American men marched for justice in Washington, D.C. They were not primarily interested in social justice but in becoming more personally just. They walked as a pledge to themselves, their families, and society that they would become more responsible fathers and more involved citizens. Organized by religious leaders, the Million Man March demonstrated the thirst for God of which we hear today in the responsorial psalm.
As forest animals search for streams to refresh themselves, the human soul seeks not just truth but the doing of truth – justice. It begins with oneself. What is the truth we seek for ourselves? Because it is difficult to discern among the complexities of life, our soul asks God for light. And because following truth may challenge us more than finding it, the soul also petitions fidelity to its demands. Light and fidelity take us to God’s mountain – heaven -- where we meet God face-to-face.
Short of that anticipated full encounter, we experience God’s helping hand by participating in marches not completely different from the one on Washington a generation ago. When we join the line for the Sacrament of Penance or the march to Communion, we prepare ourselves for a meeting with the Lord. The sacraments, we know, are Christ’s presence guiding us to truth and justice.
