Today’s responsorial Psalm comes from Psalm 23. There is a lot to think about and reflect on from this Psalm. But the line that stood out to me today is, “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want” (Psalm 23:1). This reminds us that we have everything we need and that the Lord is enough. We all have different wants and desires in our lives, but we must pray to desire God’s will for us for each day.
Many saints provide great examples of desiring what God wanted for them. But two saints (one not yet officially declared a saint) that I have been particularly inspired by in the words they were known for are St. Gianna Molla and Blessed Chiara Luce Badano. St. Gianna was known for saying and living the phrase, “whatever God wants.” Blessed Chiara was known for the phrase, “if you want it Jesus, I want it too.” These are two beautiful statements that truly inspire me and they point back to Psalm 23, acknowledging that God alone provides. These were two holy women who truly desired what the Lord desired for them.
Isn’t that what much of prayer is about? Praying so that our desires and wants align with what God wants for us? We all want different things at times throughout our lives. Maybe your life looks different than you thought it would. Maybe you desire something that may not be for you. Maybe it’s something small that you really want. In whatever it is, can we release the grip we may have on those wants, and turn to God? It’s not always easy and it is a lifelong process, but we must aim to desire what God wants to give us, acknowledging that He is enough.
Reflecting on Psalm 23 reminds me that God will lead us where He wants us to go, and give us what we need. Let us live with this in mind always, so that we can say, “whatever God wants” and “if you want it Jesus, I want it too.”
Faith and The Good Stuff 