A clean heart create for me, O God,
and a steadfast spirit renew within me.
Cast me not out from your presence,
and your Holy Spirit take not from me. (Ps 51:12-13)
We are not terribly introspective people. Quite honestly, most people do not like to look within because they do not like what they see. If one looks inside, that person sees all sorts of change necessary because, looking deep within, it is easy to identify sin.
That is why we like to look outside, to plan for events, to make plans for other people. If we keep our eyes turned out, we do not have to acknowledge our sinfulness or deal with the urgent need to change.
Lent calls us to be introspective, though. It calls us not only to look inside but to look deep within — to the very core of our being.
What drives us? What are our needs? How do we fulfill them? How do we view other people? How do we treat them? The answers to all those questions lie within.
In the refrain to Deep Within, a song from David Haas, we sing, “Deep within, I will plant my law, not on stone, but in your heart. Follow me; I will bring you back. You will be my own, and I will be your God.”
To know our God and know ourselves, we must not be afraid to look deep within. And, we must not be afraid to change so that we can get to know God — and ourselves — even better.
FAITH ACTION: In quiet prayer today, make a thorough examination of conscience. If you feel you need reconciliation, take advantage of the opportunity for confession tonight from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m.
The Light Is On For You!