July 9, 2010
Friday of the Fourteenth Week in Ordinary Time
By Melanie Rigney
Straight are the paths of the Lord, in them the just walk, but the sinners stumble in them. (Hosea 14:10)
Give me back the joy of your salvation, and a willing spirit sustain in me. O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth shall proclaim your praise. (Psalms 51:14, 17)
“You will be hated by all because of my name, but whoever endures to the end will be saved.” (Matthew 10:22)
Piety
Lord, armed with the joy of Your salvation, I will endure to the end.
Study
“Above All”
For the singers, orators, and writers among us, that proclaiming of God’s praise in a public way can look easy. We get the opportunity at Mass, Ultreyas, and other gatherings of the faithful. People send us notes that make us tear up and humbled at the way God reaches them through us. Sometimes, people even use our words on their Facebook pages to sum up their journey of the moment, or make videos to go on YouTube with our songs.
But what about those of us who can’t carry a tune, who don’t like getting up in public, or who would rather walk across a bed of burning coals than write an essay or a devotional? How do we open our lips to proclaim His praise?
It’s easy.
We do it when we listen rather than walk away from or interrupt a friend in crisis who shares a lengthy, rambling story. And sometimes, that friend says thank you after the storm.
We do it when we offer a homeless person a meal or a dollar or a smile or help in finding shelter rather than walking by without a word. And sometimes, that person says thank you for the simple acknowledgment that he or she is a human being.
We do it when we say, “I’ll pray for you” rather than saying “I hope it all turns out all right” when a coworker or neighbor we’re not sure is a Christian tells us about an illness or death or other challenge in his or her family. And sometimes, that person says thank you and tells us that seemingly small statement changed his or her life.
For while Christ warned us we will be hated because of His name, He also sometimes lets us see the miracles He works through us if we dare to proclaim His praise as we stumble down that often crooked path called life. And it can be those small glimpses of grace in action that help make our journeys a little straighter and easier.
Action
What will you do today to proclaim God’s praise—and endure?
