REFLECTIONS: JEREMIAH 15:16 – Part VI

By Msgr. Bernard Powers

Found Word: Liturgy

Lord God,
today I came to the Liturgy.
My feelings were twirling, my thoughts tumbling.
My attitude was yucky.
As You know, Lord God, I didn’t feel like being there,
and perhaps I should not have been,
but I was.
I was not in a good mood…
but we won’t go into that, at least, not now…

I came to the Liturgy.
The opening music did nothing for me,
except perhaps add some heat to the fire smoldering within me.
The first reading… I guess you could call it a reading…
meant absolutely nothing.
However, Lord, that was not my fault.
The lector was a complete disaster.
If one could murder the word,
a murdering took place today.
It was awful.

Loving God, You amaze me.
Dare I say: “You are sneaky at times.”
In the first reading of which I heard not a word,
you got my attention away from me;
You got it “out there.” You got my attention to an other.

What a grace You poured into my being.
I stood for the Gospel with an anger adrenaline alertness.

I stood with an awareness.
The Gospel astounded me.
Your words amazed me.
You served a banquet.
I ate well.
I gathered a basket of fragments.
                                          Amen  

Found Word in Sacred Liturgy

Most Holy and Loving God,
when I found your words,
what a delight.

Today I found your words in the Sacred Liturgy.
They were not what I expected,
but indeed what I needed.
Your care and concern for me
is greater than my care and concern for myself.
You know me better that I know myself,
and your caring and concern is in proportion
to your knowledge of me.

Today. in the Liturgy, You gave me words
that we beyond the needs I was aware of within myself.
You gave words that flowed from your gracious love for me.

The finding was a shock, a surprise.
Once I was moved out of my day dreaming,
my sleepiness, my drowsiness
and became attentive, listening,
what a discovery.
I found your words.

Your words touched my heart
for they were words that flowed from love.
They inflamed my spirit.
They enamoured my heart.

Your word recreated.
I was different and the difference what your work.
I was in a different world, I was with You.

It was not so much that I found your words,
but that your words found me.

Today I will live
and my living will be that
of giving flesh and blood to the words.

It will be an incarnation.
                                              Amen  

The Heart

Loving God,
when I find your words
and devour them,
taking them deep within my being,
bless me.

When your words become
the food of my journey,
sustaining me in life,
giving energy for my tasks,
bless me.

May these words,
these inspired word,
these words filled with life,
filled with spirit and fire
soak in like the rains
in the parched earth.
Even here, bless me.

May these sacred words
enter deeply into my heart,
the very core and center of my being.
May these words take me
to this inner depth
where I am most alive,
where I am most myself.
May they take me to the inner center
where You, My God, dwells.

May they take me to that point
to which only You can take me.

May these words not only give happiness to my heart,
but may they give a union with God
that is most sacred,  most holy.

Loving Spirit of God,
as I contemplate your words,
I beg that You
“create in me a clean heart”,
a heart worthy of You.

Take me to this deepest point of being
that  I adore.

Loving God,
only your word takes me to the
truth of your indwelling.
Only your gift of faith
enables me to believe this amazing truth.

May the feasting on  your words
increase my faith.
                                         Amen

Your Name

What a blessing to the soul
to be plunged into the mystery  of Jesus,
to be baptized.
It is a God action
and the seal of the Holy Spirit is impressed
upon the soul.

One belongs to God.

God has redeemed in the precious blood of Jesus.
God has reconciled; there is peace between God and Creation.
God has restored fallen man to his sublime dignity.

One belongs to God.

A seal is set;
one bears the name of the Lord,
the God of hosts. 
One is Christian.

Loving God, to bear your name
is to be like You,
to reflect your truth,
to manifest your goodness,
to witness hope.

All is possible because your words
are taken into our being,
into our hearts and minds.
There is forgiveness and reconciliation,
there is transformation and union.
All are acts of conversion;
all are acts of redemption.

Gracious loving God,
my heart is your dwelling place.
Feed it on your word.
Seal me with your spirit.
Let me bear your name.
                                 Amen