Harden Not Your Hearts

“If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts”

I sat down to pray with today’s readings and it was the psalm that resonated most with me. Even as I moved on to read the Gospel for the day, the response of the psalm would not leave my mind. In some way, as I reflected on it, I was hearing his voice repeated over and again: “harden not your hearts.” I smiled in response. Subconsciously, smiling seemed the most natural response to stem the hardening of my heart.

With little more than smiling, even just to myself, I’m softened a bit. It disarms me. I reflected on this idea amongst the stresses and distractions of everyday life and found myself realizing that I could definitely smile a little more - not necessarily at others, but just by myself, to myself. Praying with a smile. Maybe laughing at something ridiculous in my day. Over time the softening of my heart may allow me to be more flexible to God’s presence in my life. A stiff and hardened heart is definitely less pliable and less responsive to the movements of life. And if it’s hard enough, it’s easily shattered.

I don’t know the science behind it but I feel a relaxation when I smile - a softening. My goal will be to smile at something in my day and in my prayer. Let my guard down and let God in.

Author: Max von Schlehenried, Science Department