Praying the Communion Antiphon Series
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Praying the Communion Antiphon |
A
Time Set Apart – Thursday, Fourth Week of Lent
Seek
His Face
Communion Antiphon (Psalm 105:3–4)
Glory in his holy name;
let the hearts that seek the Lord rejoice.
Seek the Lord and his strength;
seek his face continually.
Thinking
About the Words
“Glory
in his holy name…”
This
is an invitation to rejoice in who God is — not just in what He does,
but in His very being. In the commandments we are commanded to love the Lord
with all heart, mind and strength and we are to honour His holy name by not
taking it in vain. We rejoice in who God
is by keeping these commandments but we go deeper. The more we come to realise
who God really is, the more we wish to love Him. Then it follows we would not
want to take his name in vain but we would only wish to honour His holy
name. Using Jesus as a real prayer
honours His name.
“Let
the hearts that seek the Lord rejoice.”
There
is something striking here:
We
might expect rejoicing to come after finding God.
However,
the Psalm says:
Those
who seek already rejoice.
Seeking
itself becomes a sign of relationship. We seek Him because we are in
relationship with Him. We want to know and love Him more.
“Seek
the Lord and his strength…”
We
are not asked to rely on our own strength.
To
seek God is also to recognise our need for Him. When we rely on our own strength
we have become self reliant and saying in effect we do not need God but we can
do everything ourselves. When we realise
and recognise our need for Him, then our relationship changes because it
becomes aligned. God is the Creator and
we are the created not the other way around. So we seek the Lord and His strength
not our own strength.
“Seek
his face continually.”
This
is very personal language. Not just seeking help. Not just seeking answers but
seeking God Himself.
And
continually — not occasionally.
Connection
to the Gospel
Today’s
Gospel (John 5:31–47) is quite intense.
Jesus
speaks about witnesses:
- John the
Baptist
- His
works
- The
Father
- The
Scriptures
Yet
He says something deeply revealing:
“You
search the Scriptures… but you refuse to come to me to have life.”
So
there is a contrast:
- Searching
without encounter
- versus
- seeking
that leads to relationship
The
people are studying, analysing, searching but they are not truly seeking His face. We need that
encounter with Jesus. We need to know Jesus and be in relationship with Him
rather than just know about Him.
Knowledge of scripture and traditions of the Church lay a great
foundation. However at some point we
actually need to encounter Him.
The
Connection
Now
the antiphon becomes very clear.
“Seek
his face continually.”
The
Gospel shows what happens when seeking becomes:
- intellectual
only
- external
only
- disconnected
from relationship
True
seeking leads to encounter and life.
A
Lenten Insight
This
fits beautifully with what you noticed yesterday about light.
We
can:
- study
the light
- analyse
the light
- talk
about the light
However,
Lent invites us to do something deeper:
Step
into the light.
Seek
not just understanding…but His presence.
At
Communion
This
antiphon is very Eucharistic. At
Communion, we are no longer seeking from a distance. We are receiving the One
we seek. Yet even then, the invitation remains:
“Seek
his face continually.” Because
the encounter does not end at the altar — it continues in daily life.
Reflection
- What
does it mean for me to truly seek God?
- Am I
seeking understanding, or am I seeking relationship?
- Where
might I be “searching” without truly encountering?
- How can
I seek God more intentionally today?
There
is a quiet shift here in Lent.
From:
- seeing
the light
- receiving
mercy
to
now:
seeking
the face of the One who gives both.
And
that is where the journey begins to deepen
Prayer
Lord,
draw my heart to seek you.
Not only your gifts,
but Your presence.
Solemnity
of St Joseph
Seeking
God’s Will in Silence
Thinking
About the Words
“Seek
the Lord… seek his face continually.”
This
seeking is not always dramatic.
Sometimes
it is hidden.
Sometimes it is uncertain.
Sometimes it unfolds in silence.
This
is where St Joseph becomes such a powerful witness.
St
Joseph – A Man Who Sought
Before
he became the foster father of Jesus, Joseph faced a situation he could not
fully understand.
Mary
was with child. The path ahead was
unclear.
Yet
instead of reacting quickly or harshly, Joseph chose a different way:
- he paused
- he listened
- he
remained open to God
In
a dream, God revealed His will.
And
Joseph responded.
Seeking
Leads to Trust
Joseph
did not have all the answers. He did not
see the whole picture. He trusted what had been revealed to him. To seek God’s
face is not always to receive full clarity. It is often to receive just
enough light for the next step. Joseph walked that path faithfully.
A
Life of Quiet Faithfulness
Joseph
never speaks a word in Scripture. Yet his life proclaims something very
powerful:
- he
honoured God’s name
- he
protected what was entrusted to him
- he acted
when God asked
His
seeking was not in words, but in action.
Connection
to the Antiphon
The
Psalm invites us:
“Seek
his face continually.”
Joseph
shows us what that looks like in real life:
- seeking
in uncertainty
- listening
in silence
- acting
in trust
A
Lenten Insight
Lent
is not always about dramatic moments.
Often
it is about:
- quiet
decisions
- small
acts of faith
- choosing
to trust when we do not fully understand
Joseph
reminds us that seeking God’s will is not about perfection.
It
is about faithfulness.
Reflection
- Where in
my life am I being asked to trust without full clarity?
- Do I
allow space to listen for God’s guidance?
- How can
I seek God’s will in the ordinary moments of my day?
- What
small step of trust might God be inviting me to take?
This
fits beautifully alongside our Lenten series. While the antiphon calls us to seek,
St Joseph shows us how: quietly, faithfully, one step at a time
Prayer
St
Joseph,
quiet and faithful servant of God,
teach me to seek the Lord with a trusting heart
and to walk in His ways.
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