The Light of His Face

A Reflection on the Psalm for Sunday, April 14th, 2024:
Third Sunday of Easter

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Psalm 4
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R. Let the light of your face shine on us, O Lord.

Answer me when I call, O God of my right! You gave me room when I was in distress. Be gracious to me, and hear my prayer.

R. Let the light of your face shine on us, O Lord.

But know that the Lord has set apart the faithful for himself; the Lord hears when I call to him.

R. Let the light of your face shine on us, O Lord.

There are many who say, “O that we might see some good! Let the light of your face shine on us, O Lord!”

R. Let the light of your face shine on us, O Lord.

I will both lie down and sleep in peace; for you alone, O Lord, make me lie down in safety.
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R. Let the light of your face shine on us, O Lord.

Pause. Pray. Reflect.

There is such beauty in the imagery of God’s face radiating light! Even as I meditate on this Psalm or any passage that mentions the light of His Face, I imagine a perfect degree of light and am immediately filled with a sense of perfect warmth. This is pretty impressive; I am usually always too warm and most light is too much light for me, but in the Lord there is a warmth and light that is perfect for me. It may not be the same amount as your perfect warmth or light, but God knows each one of us so intimately that He never ceases to fill us with the light and warmth that we need. 

What is this light? It is God’s answer to each of us when we call. The psalmist says, “Be gracious to me and hear me” because this light God radiates is God intimately hearing, listening and responding to my cry, my joy, my need! 

In this light the psalmist is able to lie down and rest in safety and peace because the light of God is a light that frees us from fear, from darkness, from the terrors of the night that the psalmist refers to in another psalm. 

Each one of us is called to contemplate the light of His Face and know that, even at the darkest moments, God is with us, and His light is shining on us, and it is enough! There is room in my distress, the psalmist says, and I am called to trust that God knows better than I do what that room looks like, what that light looks like, and how best to shine it upon me. 

So, when I am struggling and in difficulty, I must acknowledge and believe in my heart that the light of His face is shining upon me. ​


Sr Teresa MacDonald

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