If

 

If

I would suggest that the biggest word in the English language is “if”.  Now, before in your own mind, you easily dismiss my suggestion and divert your attention elsewhere, let me add that it is important how you measure it.

If likely finds its way into more arguments, more explanations, more excuses, more plans, more calculations and more hopes than any other word.  Think for a moment.  When is the last time that you planned anything for your future that you didn’t have to allow that something needed to happen before your plan could unfold?  It could be as simple as saying to yourself, “I am going to take a nice, long walk in the morning.”  Plan made.  But what happens if you wake in the morning to a thunderclap followed by sound of a deluge of raindrops pounding on your rooftop?  The plan that was made at best has to be postponed, and at worst may need to be canceled if the storm persists and uses up all the free time that you had in your day.  See, the main problem with if is that it hinges too often on factors out of our human control.     

In all lives ever lived, and all literature ever written, I would venture that there is one singular use of if where we assume that if has complete power when it, in fact, has no power at all.  Psalm 95:7 is almost always written something like, “If today you hear His voice, harden not your hearts.”  I found that one of the Bible translation websites that I rely on had 53 translations of that verse; all of them included the word “if”.  The Bible translation that is used at Catholic Mass is slightly different, “Oh, that today you would hear his voice”.  But the way that I read this translation is still almost a pleading, a prayer that the singer of the psalm will in fact hear the voice of the Lord. 

But there is one translation that helps me get to a place of assurance.  All deacons, priests, and vowed religious in the Catholic Church are required to pray at least some of the hours of Liturgy of the Hours.  For example, as a deacon I promised my bishop at my ordination that I would pray morning and evening prayer each day.  The image that creates is that as the world continuously turns on its axis into morning, people are rising as the new day comes to them, and entering into prayer.  And as the day comes to a close and the sun sets people are pausing again and entering into prayer.  While the Hours are required of clergy and religious, all members of the laity are also invited to pray the Hours.  In that way, every day the Church is continuously praying for all souls, living and deceased, everywhere in the world.

The translation in the Hours book, referred to as a breviary, translates Psalm 95:7 as: “Today listen to the voice of the Lord”.  I appreciate the certainty, the unwavering faith of that translation.  God will, God does, speak to us each day.  We know that we are in His thoughts because if we weren’t, we would cease to exist.  But we do exist simply because He loves us, and He is always contemplating His beloved.  The cross assures us that there is no question of that.  I suggest that is exactly the intent of eliminating if from the verse.  The real question, since the time of our creation, has always been, “Will we open our ears, our minds, and open our hearts to listen to what God is speaking to us?” 

His Peace <><

Photo by Billy Leivon on Unsplash

Deacon Dan