It is a blessing in our times to have an abundance of goods in our world. As a wealthy nation, our culture has opportunities to treat and indulge our senses. Visually, for example, we can enjoy natural vistas by taking a stroll in the park; faraway places are also digitally available just a few taps away on our phones or tablets.
The same holds for our sense of hearing. We welcome all kinds of natural and synthetic sounds into our lives. For starters, think of the incredible genres of music at our disposal. The range can include classical music, hip-hop and world music sounds. We are sometimes treated to these and other musical selections in the confines of an elevator or public arenas. And for the tuned ear, the natural sounds of chirping birds or gentle winds around the plants and trees can be a delight.
Beyond these sensory engagements with the goodness around us, we are blessed to partake of spiritual delights. We are surrounded by family, friends and colleagues who care for us, providing us with ongoing opportunities for personal and spiritual growth. In our familial and social interactions, we discover and learn to cultivate a taste for what is good, true and beautiful. Indeed, it is often in the family environment that our habits and virtues find their starting place.
For many of us, these familial and social settings include our commitment to faith, learning to embrace and nurture what is life-giving for ourselves and those around us. Truly, these communities of faith and mutual accountability point us to the richness of our spiritual stories and faith narratives, fine-tuning our taste for the divine. We can confidently say with the psalmist, “I do not turn away from your ordinances, for you have taught me. How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth” (Psalm 119:102-103).
A similar sentiment encouraging our taste for what is good and of God is echoed in the prophetic words of Jeremiah: “Your words were found, and I ate them, and your words became to me a joy and the delight of my heart; for I am called by your name, O Lord, God of hosts” (Jeremiah 15:16). It is not difficult to imagine how meaningful these words would have been for Jesus — hearing them in His familial and faith environment.
It is indeed the word of God that now ought to find deep resonance in our hearts. More than any generation before us, we have been graced by God. We are no strangers to the Good News revealed by Jesus Christ. As the evangelist Mark reminds us: “In those days, Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. … And a voice came from heaven, ‘You are my beloved Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased’” (Mark 1:9-11). It is Jesus the Christ, the Good News, that we are invited to seek each day and encounter in each other.
Like Mary, in our faith stories, we are encouraged to taste and see that the Lord is good (Psalm 34: 8). With Mary, we, too, can treasure and ponder God’s word in our hearts (Luke 2:19), and share with others what we have so generously received. We are blessed to break and taste the bread of life in the Lord (John 6:35-40).
Javier Orozco is the executive director of human dignity and intercultural affairs for the Archdiocese of St. Louis.