Friday of the Fifth Week

Reflection

In today’s readings, we’re presented with the incredible power of God in aiding those who call out in distress. Sometimes when I reflect on readings like these, in which God is presented as a powerful intervening force, I think of a line from Annie Dillard’s Teaching a Stone to Talk. In the passage, Dillard describes the casual nature of church services and reflects on the strangeness of this calmness in relation to the unbelievable, wild power of God. She says, “Does anyone have the foggiest idea what sort of power we blithely invoke? . . . It is madness to wear ladies’ straw hats and velvet hats to church; we should all be wearing crash helmets. Ushers should issue life preservers and signal flares; they should lash us to our pews.” I laugh when I think of it, but there’s truth in the sentiment, especially when reflecting on God’s powerful abilities as expressed in the first reading. 

There are moments in these readings where we are reminded that we are loved and valued, even when we feel overwhelmed and misunderstood. We have power over our situations just knowing this fact. Yet, we are also reminded that God is always willing to help us. In today’s psalm, we hear the refrain: “In my distress I called upon the Lord, and he heard my voice.” This line is a useful reminder, especially during the communal mourning we’re all experiencing during the COVID-19 pandemic. There have been moments over the last year when I’ve been overwhelmed by feelings, exhausted from constant worry about all of the people I love all of the time. In these moments, when my emotions bubble over the threshold of things that I feel I can handle, I’ve found myself with no other choice than to lean on God. And when I’ve gotten over my pride, thought God is God and I am not, and let my losses and feelings crash into Christ, I’ve felt them fall from my shoulders, somewhat laughingly wowed to feel the overwhelmed feelings subside with the initiation of a shared burden. I’ve sometimes thought this isn’t possible, but still it happens. He takes them and shares them with me. And I’m left wondering what else God might do to help, if I put on my crash helmet and ask. 

Prayer

Loving God, may we always remember the power of Your presence. May we grow to be beacons of Your love. Amen. 

Elly Moore, ’19

Scripture

First Reading: Jeremiah 20:10-13
Psalm 18:2-7
Gospel: John 10:31-42

Daily Scripture readings can be found online at the USCCB website