I am preparing this on a bitter cold day literally and figuratively in Illinois on Monday, January 20, 2025. It was -1° when I got going this morning, and I did something I rarely do, I turned on my television since I didn’t plan on being out anyway, and I watched a bit of the Presidential Inaugural.
And so, the sieve was shaken. And yes, husks did appear. Faults did show. I thought, politics aside, the Bidens and Kamala and Doug showed what the great American tradition of the peaceful transfer of power is really about. While the Archbishop of New York offered an olive branch and hope to all, a man with a name that most know could have tried to offer healing but instead smugly widened the breach before praying. It was challenging to see and hear him pray.
I turned off the television and decided what a good time to immerse myself in this project. And there it was. The Book of Sirach (Sirach 27:3-7). The words that had just been in my head in an entirely different context, we will hear in Mass this weekend.
Isn’t it interesting how our “Ordinary Time” serves us. It comes back to us when we least expect it. Our Church is there for us. The readings have purpose, and while we may wonder . . . Why in the world is that part of the readings?! Somedays, at sometimes in our life, it and its stories will ring true in a very personal way – when we least expect it. Perhaps that is the whisper of God in our heart and soul.
Centering us, comforting us. Giving us focus or direction. Or perhaps reminding us of what is important at that moment, and that maybe we are never truly alone in our heart and soul like that pebble of sand being hit by the ocean. Be still and listen.
Peace be with all of us!
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