Monday Morning Offering - 20

Image: George Mendoza

Good morning, good God!

I heard what you said at Mass on Sunday,
right there in the second reading,
about me being your temple,
and your Spirit living inside me…

And you said the temple I am is -
holy…

For some reason, Lord, those words stuck
to my heart…
And not because I think I’m all holy or something –
not at all!
I think the words stuck because I heard you saying
that you choose me…
you trust me…
you ask something of me…

You choose me
to be a temple of your presence…
to be a home for your Spirit…
to hold something holy within me…

You trust me to hold you
in my heart, in my mind,
in my hands, in my soul,
in my imagination, in my body…

You trust me to hold you within me…
to hold your Spirit within me…
even as you hold me…

I heard what you said
about me being your temple…

And you said the temple I am is -
holy…

See, Lord, it’s the “holy” thing that gets me:
I’m not holy!
At least I’m sure I’m not as holy
as a person should be
to be your temple…

But I know what you’re asking of me…
I know you’re asking to come in to my life
and something inside me
wants you to be there -
but something’s afraid of that, too…

Maybe if I welcome in your holiness,
if I invite you to live within me,
maybe your holiness would rub off on me…

It’s easy for me to say
I’m not worthy to be your temple.
It’s harder for me to say
I want to be worthy…

But this morning, Lord,
that’s my prayer…

So, I offer you my desires:
tame them, heal them,
shape them, mold them,
make of me a temple of your Spirit…

I offer you my shame;
wash me, cleanse me,
rinse me ready
to receive you deep within my soul…

I offer you my fears;
calm them, soothe them,
chill them, still them…
strengthen me to offer you a home…

I offer you my doubts;
guide me, lead me,
teach me, show me
how the Spirit beckons me to be…

I offer you this day, Lord:
shake me, wake me,
lift me, make of me
a temple of your holiness…

-ConcordPastor