Fears and Tears

“Come to Him,” three simple words that stood out to me. I was at Sunday Mass, and these words were in the scripture reading. They struck my attention and moved my heart.

I have found myself struggling over the last several weeks. I had pulled ligaments in my lower back and it took four weeks for them to heal. My sleep was disrupted and I was tired most of the time. With the pain that was constant and the lack of mobility and sleep, it brought me into a depression that lead me away from my prayer time.

The weather seemed in draw me further down as it was cold, cloudy, and windy. I longed for sun and signs of spring after a long winter.

I had been delaying going to the sacrament of confession, it had been about six weeks, and I kept coming up with excuses, procrastinating, and talking myself out of going.

This practice left me discouraged, weighed down, and prone to weakness in the time that I had set aside to spend with the Lord. Little by little, my prayer time had fallen away, and I longed to get it back.

Fortunately, the Lord is kind and full of mercy, and does not give up on me.

I had the opportunity to attend the First Saturday Mass this past weekend, and I was able to go to Confession, as well as pray morning prayer and attend Mass with the community. It was beautiful and rich with the graces of God.

I am grateful to God, for the three words, “Come to Him.” I was able to spend time with this scripture passage.

Thank you, my Lord and my God, for reminding me of my identity; a living stone, precious and chosen. I begin the day with the Lord, who calls me close. I invite Him into my day as my constant companion. I give Him all praise and glory. Amen. St. Peter, pray for us.

1Peter 2:4-5, 9

Beloved: Come to him, a living stone, rejected by human beings but chosen and precious in the sight of God, and, like living stones, let yourselves be built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

You are “a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people of his own, so that you may announce the praises” of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.