Lenten Reflection 2/27/24

From the ends of the earth will I call upon thee, when my heart is in heaviness. (Psalm 61.2)

Author’s note: Is it possible to place the above Psalm as an epigraph below the title? If not, it would be adequate to adopt it into the body of the piece, as its first line.

The Gospel lesson for this day begins at an odd location: “and Judas Iscariot, who handed him over” (Mark 3.19). I couldn’t help but note that the betrayer of Christ was the last in a list of apostles whom Jesus selected from amongst the crowds that followed him. These twelve were drafted into service as seemingly prime candidates to continue the work of Christ through the founding of the Church. Judas, and the other eleven, were charged with the tasks of living with Christ, preaching the Gospel, and to have authority to drive out evil spirits. Thus, armed with the best seminary training in the history of mankind (credit to Bp. Clark W.P. Lowenfield for that saying), these men are beyond prepared be faithful examples for us to emulate. And yet, we must contend with Judas, the archetype of betrayal, infidelity, and ultimately, unbelief (Hebrews 3.12).

Psalm 145:8 says, “The Lord is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.”

So it is with boldness that we approach our merciful Lord and ask him to be gracious to all who have gone astray from his ways (Collect of the Day).