A Worthwhile Investment

A Reflection on the Psalm for May 15th, 2022:
Fifth Sunday of Easter

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Psalm 145

R. Alleluia!

The Lord is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. The Lord is good to all, and his compassion is over all that he has made. 

R. Alleluia!

All your works shall give thanks to you, O Lord, and all your faithful shall bless you. They shall speak of the glory of your kingdom, and tell of your power. 

R. Alleluia!

To make known to human beings your mighty deeds, and the glorious splendour of your kingdom. Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and your dominion endures throughout all generations. 

R. Alleluia!
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“Heaven is the ultimate end and fulfillment of the deepest human longings, the state of supreme, definitive happiness.” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1024)


In my experience of life so far, I can say without hesitation that my deepest human longings have been, at best, only partially met. In most cases they have gone unfulfilled, and I have even denied them altogether out of fear that they’d be ignored or rejected. Throughout my time on this earth, I have made decisions based on a variety of influences, including the opinions of others, societal norms and expectations, and, not least of all, the wounded or selfish desires of my own heart.  


However, it is also my experience that when I had the courage to open my heart and mind to the possibility that there is more to life than this — to consider and allow myself to hope that there is a possibility that the core desires of my soul can actually be wholly met — a world has been opened to me that I never knew existed.


I believe that the sentiment “I’m okay, you’re okay, we’re all okay” is one of the most false and misleading philosophies out there. I’ve come from believing I was pretty darn okay to realizing that my heart, which was made by Love and for Love, has been badly damaged. My wounds have been a result of the challenges of relationships between me and other flawed people, the consequences of ill-informed decisions and unfortunate events and situations beyond my control. Many of you will be able to relate. 


Trusting Love to lead me from “survival mode” and the isolation of self-sufficiency into relationships with those who have helped me is where I have begun to see the glorious splendour of God’s kingdom. Learning to make sense of my story and to move forward with Love as a frame of reference has been the start of healing for me. His compassion is surely over all that He has made, and that includes every part of me, and you.


As one of His faithful, I want to bless God with my story. I want to bless Him because the Catholic faith has been the catalyst for the healing of my broken heart, and I know that life to the full — the glory of His kingdom — is evolving in my life as that healing occurs. I desire this for everyone, as does God, and so I share these words with you.


Our lives on earth will end, but His kingdom, into which we are all invited, is everlasting … and that sounds to me like something worth investing in.


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Lindsay Elford 
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