Today's Introductory Antiphon speaks of "longing and pining for the courts of the Lord" and the responsorial psalm takes up this theme through the image of "thirsting for the Lord". In the daily Eucharist, the word of God challenges us. Do we believe what we read? Do we really mean what we say? Using the words of Psalm 42 we may examine our conscience. Do we "hope in the Lord?" Do we "trust in his word"?

"My soul longs for you". We may not feel this same intense desire for God, but the Psalmist's words are part of God's revelation and so foster our spiritual formation. Such a strong desire was possible for the Psalmist. Therefore, in principle, it is possible for each one of us.

In his writings, St Ignatius of Loyola suggested that, even if we are not animated by such a strong desire, we can at least have a desire to be so animated one day: we can have "a desire for the desire".

As Christians, all of us are candidates for heaven. At this moment, we may not feel a very strong desire for the joys of heaven, but taking the Psalmist's words to heart we can at least pray for "the desire for the desire".