Psalm 145

R. The Lord is near to all who call upon him.

Every day will I bless you,
and I will praise your name forever and ever.
Great is the LORD and highly to be praised;
His greatness is unsearchable.

R. The Lord is near to all who call upon him.

The LORD is gracious and merciful,
slow to anger, and of great kindness.
The LORD is good to all
and compassionate toward all his works.

R. The Lord is near to all who call upon him.

The LORD is just in all his ways
and holy in all his works.
The LORD is near to all who call upon him,
to all who call upon him in truth.

R. The Lord is near to all who call upon him.

I took several psychology classes in college and enjoyed them all equally. I have recalled many of the things I learned in those classes in adulthood. One day, our professor, whom I adored, talked about the Principle of Proximity. In social psychology, the proximity principle suggests that people closer together in a physical environment are more likely to form a relationship than those farther away. This can be seen in students who sit by one another in class, people who live by one another in a neighborhood, teammates on the same team, or coworkers who share spaces in an office. The fact that they have so much exposure to one another lends itself to fostering relationships or friendships. According to research on this principle, the attraction between people increases with the increase in encounters between them. 

You know that feeling when you’ve just been removed from something for too long that it feels awkward or insurmountable to re-associate with it? If you’ve been gone from the gym for too many months, it’s hard to get back into it. If you’ve been out of touch with a certain friend for too long, it can feel like there is too much to catch up on. If you haven’t cleaned the bathrooms in too many weeks, the task feels extraordinarily more difficult. A relationship with God is not that different. Regardless of how I am doing, what mood I am in, or what is going on in my life, it is imperative to stay near. Proximity matters. As a result of constant exposure to Him - in Masses, Sacraments, Adoration chapels, prayer, and other faithful friends – the task of remaining in a relationship with Him won’t feel too insurmountable.

Today’s Psalm reminds me that by building exposure habits that exist outside of my feelings or circumstances in my life, I am keeping Him closer within reach. Naturally, my preference for Him will increase, but more importantly, the fruit that is born in my life because of that preference.

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To hear one of my favorite Shane and Shane Psalms, listen to “Psalm 145” here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OxyomGaldT0