😎🐫🎤 Christ’s peace and presence be with you. After 3 years and 7 months of working from my quiet, peaceful home, Monday I returned to working in an office space of which I am at workstation 37 of 42. There are no walls, cubicles, or even dividers between the desks, just one big open area. I can’t recall ever working in an environment quiet like this. To say the least, it’s going to take some getting use to. That plus some other work stuff that happened Monday made me pretty grumpy. I got home after work, ate some pizza real quick, then a couple friends and I headed to a memorial Mass for Pope Francis, which was being presided by our new Archbishop.
I keep pretty quiet during the 35 minute car ride, still grumpy and pondering the events of the day. We settled into a crowded pew, squeezed one more friend into our crowded pew, and prepared ourself for Mass. Then the choir and congregation started singing the prelude.
‘I heard the voice of Jesus say, “Come unto me and rest;
Lay down O weary one. Lay down your head up-on my breast.”
I came to Jesus as I was, So weary, worn and sad.
I found in Him a resting place, And He has made me glad.’
We then went into the processional hymn.
“O God beyond all praising, we worship you today
And sing the love amazing that songs cannot repay;
For we can only wonder at every gift you send,
At blessings without number and mercies without end;
We lift our hearts before You and wait upon Your word,
We honor and adore You, our great and mighty Lord.”
Then we sang Psalm 23.
“The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want…”
After the Gospel, Matthew 25:31-46, during his homily, Archbishop Casey shared with us some of his experiences from his life changing Camino pilgrimage. This really caught my attention and lifted my spirits, being that we will be making our Camino pilgrimage this year.
After his homily, I told myself, “I know this evening and Mass was planned as a memorial to Pope Francis, but I know it was planned for me.” I know that sounds pretty selfish, but God was really talking to me throughout the entire Mass. He knew I needed to be there to hear what He had to say to me. He calmed my spirit, but I still had trouble sleeping, which was all my fault. He kept telling me to let go, but I continued to replay some events of the work day in my head.
We can be our own worse enemy. Peace comes from and through God and its peace that He desires for us.
Bless others and be blessed.
Shelly :0)
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Third Day Devotions 