The House of the Lord 

   “There is one thing I ask of the Lord, only this do I seek:  to live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the Lord, to inquire at his temple.”  (Psalm 27: 4) 

   If I wish to live in the Lord’s temple I can’t live my life as if this world is my home, I must recognize that it is only a temporary exile from my true home.  I can’t allow this world and its’ pleasures to become the focus of my desires.  If I do, I have put my eternal life at risk and may never see the house of the Lord.

   In faith I must trust in the Lord, in His words and in His promises.  In the best of times I must thank Him and in the worst of times I must turn to Him for comfort and solace.  I cannot allow myself to despair or become despondent but submit myself to His will in all things, confident of His love and mercy

   I must forgive if I wish to be forgiven and reach the temple of the Lord.  When Peter asked if he must forgive His brother seven times, Jesus replied, “I say to you not seven times, but seventy-seven times.” (Matt 18; 22).  In Lord’s prayer we say, “forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us.”  If I do not forgive then I will not be forgiven.

   Most of all, I must love if I am to see the house of the Lord.  If I don’t have love, I am nothing and will never enter the Lord's temple.  When asked what the greatest commandment is Jesus replied, “You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.  This is the first and greatest commandment.  The second is like it.  You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” (Matt 22: 37 – 39).

   There are many virtues on the path to the Lord, but love encompasses them all.  If I have the love of the Lord in my heart, sharing that love with all, I believe I shall live in the house of the Lord. 

Lord, I desire to see Your temple.

To spend eternity in Your presence.

Teach me your ways.

Show me Your will. 

Amen