Friday of Week 20 in Ordinary Time (Year II)
Ezekiel 37:1-14 | Psalm 106:2-9 | Matthew 22:34-40
There are days when nothing seems to go right, when I can’t seem to get across to the people whom I’m advising, when I upgrade one software component and an entire workflow suddenly breaks. I’d feel just like the house of Israel: “Our bones are dried up, our hope has gone; we are as good as dead.” (Ezekiel 37:11)
It takes a while to remember to pause, to breathe deep, to energize myself with fresh oxygen, and then to get back on the right track again.
Similarly, there are days when I feel dis-Spirited, when I know I need to get some liturgical matters taken care of but can’t seem to get started, when others are waiting in vain for my instructions, when even forwarding a simple email to my choir’s mailing list is delayed by days. (That I’ve yet to stumble thus in my daily reflections is a mystery.)
It takes an even longer while to remember to breathe in the Holy Spirit, to let Him settle in my soul and fire my liturgical muscles into necessary action. Sometimes, others simply give up in disgust and take the necessary actions themselves, leaving me to apologize all round after the fact.
Sometimes there’s just a large mental gulf between me and God, and I know there’s a lot of work left to be done on my faith. I just hope and pray the day never comes when I just don’t care about it any more, because Satan won’t be far behind.
Lord, you’ve seen us at our best, and at our lowest. Remind us always, in good times and bad, to breathe of the Holy Spirit, to be inspired by others around us to work towards the coming of Your heavenly kingdom. Amen.
P.S. The title is not a typo – it’s taken from an old spiritual inspired by today’s reading that I loved in my younger days, but I never made the connection till today. I hope it uplifts you after what has proven to be an ultra-sober reflection.