Broken-hearted

Homily for Friday of the 4th Week in Lent

When asked, most people will choose Psalm 23 as their favorite. There is something about thinking of the Lord as a shepherd that appeals to them. I would choose Psalm 34 as my personal favorite for several different reasons. Among them is one of the verses that we hear today in the responsorial. “The Lord is close to the broken-hearted, and those who are crushed in spirit he saves.” Another translation reads, “He heals the broken-hearted and binds up all their wounds.

Identifying myself as broken-hearted is not my usual outlook on life. However, I think that we all experience having our hearts broken at various times in our lives. This is certainly the case when I was told that I would eventually completely lose my hearing. Though hearing loss has been a gradual process, it continues to be a concern for me. However, it was shortly after the diagnosis that I came upon this verse of Psalm 34. Since that time, it has been a part of my daily prayer.

Although it might not be the most comfortable mindfulness moment, I would choose the word “broken-hearted” as the mindfulness trigger to today. Rather than focusing on the cause, I will focus my attention of how the Lord has been there throughout these moments of my life to bind up all my wounds.