An observation from this morning's Mid Morning prayer: As I read/prayed the Psalm, I found myself thinking, "is that it?" Here's a sample, from Psalm 119...
I will never forget your precepts for with them you give me life. Save me, for I am yours since I seek your precepts.
Of course I know the context, when and where this Psalm was written. Still, we pray it now, as Christians, as those on the other side of the torn veil, and it causes a little pause. If all we have is seeking precepts, we are in bad shape. You'd think, by listening to and watching the lives of some of our Christian siblings, that, indeed, this is all we have - seeking and knowing His precepts, and keeping them. Therefore, we have life. As is also in the Office each day... O God, come to our assistance!
What is the deep reality of our Christianity? What is it? Seeing laws and keeping them?? O Lord, make haste to help us! Certainly there are those things that we must and must not do - but why? Because of fear of punishment? St. Augustine said, and rightly I believe, many years ago, that if we do good for fear of punishment, we are not sons but slaves, but at least we should do this until Love comes and shows us the real way.
The answer to why should be to consider the second reading from yesterday's Mass in the lectionary, which ends, "Love does no evil to the neighbor; hence, love is the fulfillment of the law." In essence, Love is our only precept. And Love is only truly possessed through our union with Him in Christ. Again, our cooperation is in order at all times, internally and externally saying "yes" to His Love, to His transforming presence in us. But that IS what it's all about, His Love, which is really Himself, making us like Him. God please forbid our faith remain or become a mere keeping of precepts.
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