Wednesday of Week 13 in Ordinary Time --- Arriving at Prayer with Psalm 34

I admit that Genesis has been a little exhausting, and today's Matthean version of the Demoniac episode isn't as interesting and colorful as Mark's or Luke's, so today it is Psalm 34...a great start to any day!

Psalm 34 seems to fit so perfectly with this bit of reflection I came across last night by Abraham Joshua Heschel:

It is good that there are words sanctified by ages of worship, 

by the honesty and love of generations.  

If it were left to ourselves, 

who would know what word is right 
to be offered as praise in the sight of God 
or which of our perishable thoughts worthy of entering eternity?  

On the other hand, one might ask:  

Why should we follow the liturgy?  

Should we not say, one ought to pray when one is ready to pray?

The time to pray is all the time.  

There is always an opportunity to disclose the holy, 

but when we fail to seize it, 

there are definite moments in the liturgical order of the day, 

there are words in the liturgical order of our speech to remind us.  

These words are like mountain peaks pointing to the unfathomable.  Ascending their trails we arrive at prayer.  

from "Man's Quest for God" 1954

That must have been what happened to Mary when she erupted in the Magnificat which echoes parts of Psalm 34.  At her joy, her body reached for words, "sanctified by the honesty and love of generations," and her particular culling of those words and phrases, fell together as both new and ancient.

Today, I think I will surrender and let the words grasp my being.

The Lord hears the cry of the poor.  Blessed be the Lord.

I will bless the Lord at all times, with praise ever in my mouth.

Let my soul glory in the Lord, who will hear the cry of the poor.

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Let the lowly hear and be glad: the Lord listens to their pleas;

and to hearts broken God is near, who will hear the cry of the poor.

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Every spirit crushed God will save; will be ransom for their lives;

will be safe shelter for their fears, and will hear the cry of the poor.

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We proclaim your greatness, O God, your praise ever in our mouth;

every face brightened in your light, for you hear the cry of the poor.