HappyMama

The daily Mass readings can be found here.  Whenever I’m at Mass, at least on the days that the kids aren’t distracting me too much, there are lines that jump out at me during the readings.  They are such a source of nourishment for me!

Today, Ezra tells the weeping people, “Do not be saddened this day,
for rejoicing in the LORD must be your strength!”  (Neh. 8:10)

They were weeping because they had just heard the Law of Moses read to them, and they realized how much they had been failing to keep God’s commands.  The strength they needed was the strength that all sinners need… the strength to admit our sins, to admit when we’ve messed everything up, and the strength to trust that God can make all things new. 

Today’s Psalm 19: “The law of the LORD is perfect, refreshing the soul…”  When was the last time you felt refreshed?!  Imagine being lost in a foreign country, for hours, and then finally running into someone who spoke your native language and was able to point you in the right direction.  That’s a refreshing moment!   When we read the Scriptures, our souls are refreshed in the sense that we find direction.  In this world, it is easy to find ourselves lost if we don’t keep referring back to the very Word of God in our bibles. 

I once went on a silent Opus Dei retreat [you can see the place here] in Indiana.  The priest who gave our talks said many helpful things, but what I remember most was this:  “If you only have time to read one book in your life, it should be the book of the Gospels.”  Wise words to a book junkie like me!