Just a cup on a deck by the shore...

Photo by KRZ

... but so beautiful!

KRZ, a friend on FaceBoook, posted this photo today and its simple beauty stopped me in my tracks.

Thought you might enjoy the calm and peace of this scene, too.


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Hoping when things are hopeless...

Photo by Michael Paulson

Bishop Chris Coyne on his blog quotes Chesterton for the feast of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary:

Hope means hoping when things are hopeless, or it is no virtue at all... As long as matters are really hopeful, hope is mere flattery or platitude; it is only when everything is hopeless that hope begins to be a strength.

G. K. Chesterton

If you look at the day's scriptures, you will certainly see what true hope is as it plays out in the lives of Mary and Elizabeth who each had every reason to feel hopeless...

The contrast between hope and hopelessness has colored my own writing over this past week (here and here) and I'm grateful for the Chesterton quote and its wisdom.


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May 31: Feast of the Visitation

Image source

On the Church calendar, this is the feast of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary.  The story of the Visitation is told in today's gospel and you'll find more material at this post from a few years ago. 

After reading the scripture, spend some time with this prayerful reflection...

Visitation

Two women meet,
cousins yet more than kin—
bound now to one another
by pregnant surprise.

Their unpredictable God has laughed at nature
and made the childless and the virgin bear.
She of the leaping womb, thought barren,
bears the restlessness of her God.

And the virgin unknown
becomes the magnifying glass
that makes great her God for all to see.

The women embrace:
forgotten hope surprised by life
embraces surpassing love.

Meeting they touch
the old and the new
the forgotten and the unknown
now revealed in mystery
as ancient desire and time’s fullness.

The simple majesty
of their common meeting
is remembered as the uncommon visitation
of God come among us.
Shall our own forgotten hope
protect us from surprise?

Perhaps!

Shall our fear of being known
cause us to turn and hide
from this—God’s embrace?

It is possible.

Shall we trade
the restlessness of God
for oblivion?

Also possible.

But these women,
Elizabeth and Mary,
desire and fullness,
call us to laugh with our unpredictable God
who comes to visit
such a warm and generous embrace
upon our quaking hearts.

- by Fr. Harry Hagan in: Thirsting for God: Prayers from a Monastery; and today's reflection in Give Us This Day, a new daily prayer publication from Liturgical Press.  (Full disclosure: I am an occasional contributor to Give Us This Day.)



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View from your window...

Photo by MS

These beautiful blossoms were captured on a Memorial Day walk by one of my faithful readers - thanks for sharing!



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Praying 10 minutes today: THURSDAY 5/31

Find a quiet time and place to pray... take a few deep breaths... be still  and know that God is near...

A word to reflect on:   

The law of the LORD is perfect, 

   refreshing the soul.

The decree of the LORD is trustworthy, 

   giving wisdom to the simple.

The precepts of the LORD are right, 

   rejoicing the heart.    - Psalm 19

In these quiet moments, Lord,
   I sometimes wonder, sometimes worry 
      about how faithful I am to your word, to your law.
I know I'm not perfect,
   so I wonder and worry about the times I wander away
      from your commandments, 
         from what you expect of me in living each day...
I know the times I've failed
   to follow the path you've asked me to walk...
I know the times I've chosen my way and will,
   closing my heart to yours... 
And I've known the times I've paid the price
   of judging my thoughts wiser than yours...

But I also know that when I pray, Lord,
   I'm more at peace than when I don't...
I know that when I try to live as you have asked
   my burdens become lighter and fewer...
I know that when I love you by loving those around me,
   (even when they don't make that easy)
there comes a serenity in being faithful
   to those who've not been faithful to me...
I know that when I reach out to those in need,
   putting their cares ahead of mine,
there comes a joy greater than
    in getting and having what I want...
I know that when I reverence
   the hearts, the bodies, the feelings of those around me
      (as I would have them respect my own)
there comes a freedom to be with one another
   and to trust the bonds we share...
I know that when I choose the truth, Lord,
   when I take the high road, 
      when I love what is good and do what is just,
there comes within the deep assurance
   I'm walking the path you'd have me take...
I know that when I desire to live by your law 
   and to trust your wisdom above my own,
you refresh my soul with your Spirit and
   with the courage I need to do what I must...

In this quiet time, today, Lord,
   help me ponder the law by which you call me to live...
Help me be honest in confessing
   the times I've been unfaithful...
Remind me of the peace, serenity and joy that come,
   the freedom, assurance and refreshment that are mine,
      when I'm faithful to you and to your Word...
Your law is perfect, Lord,
   and refreshes my soul when I keep it..
Your decrees are worthy of trust
  and bring wisdom to my simple ways...
Your commandments are true, Lord
   and my heart takes joy in keeping them...
Keep me faithful, Lord,

 for in fidelity to you I find the peace I seek...

Here are some tips for praying 10 minutes a day.  If you find these daily prayer reminders helpful, please let me know - and share them with others.  You'll find an archive of these daily posts here.

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UPDATE: Praying on Memorial Day... in Indianapolis

 H/T to Rock over at Whispers for reminding us that among his duties as apostolic administrator of the Archdiocese of Indianapolis, Boston-bred Bishop Chris Coyne offers the prayer at the beginning of the Indianapolis 500 on Memorial Day.

Give a listen above for how Bishop Coyne led these more than 400,000 racing enthusiasts in prayer at the track.

Can I hear an Amen?

(There's always a link on my sidebar to Bishop Coyne's blog, Let Us Walk Together.)

UPDATE:  For Catholics who may not be satisfied with Bishop Coyne's style of prayer, perhaps they'd prefer the prayer offered last year by Pastor Joe Nelms at the NASCAR race!

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Music for Trinity Sunday

Much of the music in the widget above is based on the ancient hymn, O Lux beata Trinita, ascribed to St. Ambrose (340-397) and translated (below) by John Neale (1818-1866).

O Lux beata Trinitas,

et principalis Unitas,

iam sol recedit igneus,

infunde lumen cordibus.

O Trinity of blessed Light,

O Unity of sovereign might,

as now the fiery sun departs,

shed Thou Thy beams within our hearts.

Te mane laudum carmine,

te deprecemur vespere:

te nostra supplex gloria

per cuncta laudet saecula.

To Thee our morning song of praise,

to Thee our evening prayer we raise;

Thee may our glory evermore

in lowly reverence adore.

Deo Patri sit gloria,

eiusque soli Filio,

cum Spiritu Paraclito,

et nunc, et in perpetuum. 

All laud to God the Father be;

all praise, Eternal Son, to Thee;

all glory, as is ever meet,

to God the Holy Paraclete. 

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Praying 10 minutes today: WEDNESDAY/May 30

Find a quiet time and place to pray... take a few deep breaths... be still  and know that God is near...

A word to reflect on:   

Answer me when I call, my saving God.

When troubles hem me in, set me free;

take pity on me, hear my prayer.

- Psalm 4

I have troubles and hurts that hem me in:
   the burdens of grief and loss...
How does this empty place within
   weigh so heavy in the balance of my soul?
I call on you, Lord,
   and pray you'll set me free...
You see how quickly my hands spring 
   to cover and protect, to hide the wounded place within,
      to hide from my own eyes the pain I know so well,
         the hurt become my sole companion... 
In this quiet time, alone with you, Lord,
   unveil my heart  (don't wait for me to do it)
      and with your gentle hand begin to mend
         what only you can heal... 
Touch my heart with mercy,
   refresh my days with joy 
      and favor my nights with sleep and good dreams...
Let me find, let me hope again
   for that serenity, that inner peace
      that I knew once and need so much to know again...
Help me hold the memory of grace I've known
   and let go whatever keeps me locked
      in pain and in the past...
I know you hear me, Lord,
   and I know you want to set me free...
Give me strength and courage, the desire
   to open to your touch, 
      your grace upon my mind and heart...
Open the eyes of my soul to see, today,
   the peace which will be mine again...
In these quiet moments of prayer,
   help me to be still, to know your presence, Lord,
      and to receive what's yours to give...

Here are some tips for praying 10 minutes a day.  If you find these daily prayer reminders helpful, please let me know - and share them with others.  You'll find an archive of these daily posts here.


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Lilacs, choirs of birds and other gifts of grace...

Image: My Grandpa's Garden

My musing on the choir of birds singing at our alfresco parish Mass on Memorial Day put me in mind of this poem and the importance of responding to moments of grace when they fall upon us - and not putting them off for another day...


Four Kinds of Lilacs

"Why don't you turn at the next corner,"
she said, "and take another road home.
Let's go past that farm with all the
different colored lilacs."

"That's seven miles out of the way,"
he said. "I wanted to plant the rest
of the corn before evening. We
can look at lilacs some other time."

"It'll take only a few minutes"
she said. "You know that lilacs
aren't in bloom for long—if we
don't go now, it will be too late."

"We drove past there last year,"
he said. "They're like any other lilacs
except for the different colors. The rest
of the year, they're all just bushes."

"They're lilac, purple, white, and pink,"
she said. "And today, with no breeze,
the scent will hang in the air—no flowers
smell as good as lilacs in the spring."

"I thought of planting lilacs once,"
he said, "for a windbreak in the grove.
The good smell lasts only a few days.
I suppose we can go, if we hurry."

"Now slow up," she said.
"Last year, you drove by so fast
we couldn't even get a good look.
It wouldn't hurt to take it easy."

"Well, there they are," he said,
"and looking pretty scraggly—past
full bloom already. You should
have thought of doing this sooner."

- Leo Dengel, in Home from the Field: Collected Poems



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Word for the Weekend: June 3 - TRINITY Sunday

Image: FullHomelyDivinity

The Sunday following Pentecost is always Trinity Sunday which, in turn, is always followed by Corpus Christi (or, the Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ). Trinity Sunday presents us not with an event or person to celebrate, but with a doctrine: the doctrine of the Trinity. Of course, we celebrate Trinity every time we pray -- think of making the Sign of the Cross!

Although the Trinity is a mystery, that hasn't prevented us from trying to diagram it - thus the image above, a classic graphic to speak what the Church teaches about the Three in One.

Look here for the scriptures and background on them and here for help if you're bringing children to Mass this weekend and want to prepare them to hear the Word.

In the lesson from Deuteronomy we hear Moses ask four questions about the God of Israel, helping his people to understand that the Lord alone is God and dearly loves his chosen people. The passage from Romans gives us God as our Abba, our divine Papa who adopts us in the Spirit as his sons and daughters. If we understood Abba as the term of endearment it is, this passage would have a more profound impact on us when we hear it. The gospel, from Matthew, gives us the "great commission" to preach the gospel to all nations and to baptize in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.


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Is the Internet the enemy of faith?

Image source

It's clear that Deacon Greg's decision to close his comboxes hasn't kept him from offering up fine food for thought.  Check out his link to the Washington Post and a timely piece by R. Albert Mohler, Jr., president of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.  Mohler raises the question, "Is the Internet the enemy of faith?"  -- and his response is well worth the read.


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Commenting on blogging deacons

Illustration: Dan Salamida

Some news today in the Catholic blogosphere!   Well, actually there's a lot of Catholic news out there today but here are two items that I didn't want to pass by without notice.

Deacon Bill Ditewig who writes Deacons Today has decided to sign off, at least for the time being.  Citing his many family and ecclesial responsibilities, his writing in a number of other venues, and some pushback in his comboxes, Bill has chosen to close his page.  Deacons Today has been on my sidebar for a long time and I'll miss Bill's work. 

Deacon Greg Kandra, a good friend of this page, has decided to close his comboxes "for the foreseeable future... maybe for good."  The author of The Deacon's Bench adds that he'll "revisit this policy later in the summer." Noting that he's decided to "take a vacation from vitriol," he writes:

This has been coming for a while.  I’ve shut down comments for a week or two in the past, to have a breather, but the resultant serenity doesn’t last for long. On some days, keeping track of the torrent of comments has become a full-time job, and I’ve found repeatedly that the combined badgering, sniping and vitriol too often create an environment that can only be called toxic.  I just don’t have the time or mental energy to deal with it.

Although I read Greg's page seven days a week, it's been a while since I've regularly checked into his comboxes -- on account of just the reasons he mentions.  You'll recall that recently I shifted the focus of my own page here, no longer posting on current events in the Catholic world.  I'm gladly leaving to others the job of reporting the news and managing the comments such posting can engender.

Deacon Bill, I hope that one day you'll find the time to come back to the blogosphere!

And Deacon Greg, if you can accept just one more comment:
     I'm glad you're still there!


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Praying 10 minutes today: TUESDAY 5/29

We celebrated Mass in our parish cemetery yesterday, on Memorial Day.  A warm morning in late May, a bright sun against a blue sky: the liturgy was simple, our singing a cappella. Early on I noticed that in the background of our prayer there was a chorus of natural sounds, an ornithological ostinato, offered by birds hidden in leafy branches, in choir stalls of trees around and among the headstones.

I was reminded by the birds' song that indeed one often needs to go to a very quiet place -a graveyard is a quiet place-  if one wants to hear something truly divine... Be still... and know that I am God...

I first noticed the birds' when I was sitting in silence near the table that was our altar, just before we began to pray...  Be still... and know that God is near...

We all need quiet time in a quiet place if we hope to hear the sound of God moving within and whispering his word, his song...  Be still... and know that I am God...


Find a quiet time and place to pray... take a few deep breaths... be still  and know that God is near...

A word to reflect on:   

Be still and know that I am God...
- Psalm 46

Especially when I can't stop the merry-go-round on my own, Lord:
   slow me down...
When my ears and mind, when I am filled with noise,
   show me a path to a quiet place...
When I'm standing still but moving at 60 inside,
   put the brakes on and bring me to a stop:
      by your side, in a place where I might hear my own breathing
        and the breath of your Spirit stirring in my soul...
Help me make enough time to find the calm, the quiet I need
   to hear the birds sing, the tide come in, the sun to rise
      and the moon to wax full in the skies above...
Let me find a time, Lord, when the rhythms of my life
   might grow slow and rock me, not to sleep but to peace,
      that serenity wherein I know I'm in your presence...
Let this place and time of prayer become for me
   a well of sweet waters for a thirsty heart,
      a place where I will want to come often, every day,
         to draw and drink from its depths,
            to slake my thirst for what truly satisfies
               and gives me life...
Bring me to quiet places, Lord, wherever in my day they may be
   and let me find the time to sit with you there
      to drink in the peace that's only yours to give...
Help me to be still, Lord,
   that I might know that you are God,
      that I might know that you are near...


Here are some tips for praying 10 minutes a day.  If you find these daily prayer reminders helpful, please let me know - and share them with others.  You'll find an archive of these daily posts here.


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A "refresher course" on praying 10 minutes a day...

On FaceBook, in email and in encounters with folks around me, I'm pleased to learn that these daily posts are helping others in their prayer.

A parishioner suggested I offer a little "refresher course" in praying 10 minutes each day so here's an updated version of the post that began this series at the beginning of Lent 2012.

Praying 10 minutes a day

I have my radio on each morning as I shave and shower and dress.  I've noticed that the time it takes me to get ready each day depends on whether I'm listening to talk radio or classical music.  Although I do the same things each morning and never actually stop and stand still to listen, it takes me longer to get ready with talk radio than it does with music.  And if I'm really in a hurry, turning my radio OFF can trim 5-7 minutes off my time!

Background sounds can so easily distract and slow us down, imperceptibly pulling us away from what we're doing or want to do. 

Noise and sound can easily confuse, disrupt and distract us...  

Silence helps us relax, focus and clarify...

What sounds in my life distract and slow me down, making my focus fuzzy and my attention weak? 

Does ambient noise distract me spiritually as well as physically?

Sometimes we say or sing aloud our prayer but there's also a kind of prayer that happens only in the silence.  Sure, I sometimes pray on the run and in my car, but there's nothing like slowing down, easing into the silence, to help me find and know the presence of God.

Suppose I set aside 10 minutes a day...

Just 10 minutes

to sit down in a quiet place,

apart from others, 

to breathe deeply,

to be still...

to know that God is near, 

at hand, by my side, in my heart..

What would be the best time of day for me to spend these 10 minutes?  

     in the morning?  midday?  in the evening?

What might be the best place for me to find some peace and quiet?

     at home?  at work?  in a church or chapel?  outdoors?

How will I begin?

     make the sign of the Cross...

     relax and remember that God is with me...

     ask God to help me to pray...

     be at peace with however the 10 minutes might pass

          and remember that tomorrow is another day to pray...

How might I spend these 10 minutes?

     in silence...

     with the scriptures...

     resting in the silence, in the presence of God...

     speaking from my heart to the Lord's heart...

What might I pray?

     tell the Lord what's in my heart and on mind...

     speak to him as I would to my best friend...

     pray by listening...

How might I use the scriptures...

     read the scriptures until I find a verse that hits me...

     read that verse again, and again, and again until I know it...

     speak it aloud or pray it silently, letting it sink in...

     let the verse become part of my prayer...

     ask the Lord to bring that verse back to my attention 

       through the day...

 

What might I expect?

     peace and quiet...  

     time alone with the Lord...

     the consolation of God's presence... 

     a word, a prayer to carry with me through the day...

How will I end my 10 minutes?

     thank the Lord for this time with him...

     pledge to return tomorrow...

     pray the Our Father...

     make the sign of the Cross...

Just 10 minutes?  That's a good way to begin.  Set a modest goal: 10 minutes out a day of 1,440 minutes is certainly a modest goal.  As you want to spend more time in prayer, spend more time in prayer...

Watch each day for the Cross at the top of this post: a reminder, a nudge, to set apart 10 minutes a day...  to be still...  and to know that God is near...

And if you'd like your own wooden pocket Cross with the inscription from Psalm 46, just send a stamped, self-addressed envelope to me at 55 Church Street, Concord, MA 01742 and I'll send you one.  (Not a fund raiser!  No charge!  Please send no cash!)

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The view from my Memorial Day window

Photo by CP

All you flowering shrubs, lavender and purple, praise the Lord!
All you rhododendrons, white and pink, praise the Lord!
All you azaleas, red and crimson, praise the Lord!
Let everything in petaled perfection praise the Lord!



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Monday Morning Offering - 193

Coffee in the Morning by George Mendoza

Good morning, good God!

I'm praying today, Lord:
remembering those who died,
who passed from this life to the next,
who have at last met you, their Maker,
lover of their souls...

I'm praying today, Lord:
remembering those gone long before,
marked with the sign of faith,
marked as your own in ways unknown
to others' grief and mine...

I'm praying today, Lord:
remembering those who gave their lives
without a thought of self,
who laid down all that I might stand
in freedom dearly won...

I'm praying today, Lord:
remembering selfless souls and
hearts with courage purpled true,
so sure and brave on danger's roads
where I'd not dare to tread...

I'm praying today, Lord:
remembering love in sacrifice
so freely, fully given,
so easily forgotten by just the ones
for whom the gift was made...

I'm praying today, Lord,
and of''ring you my memories now
in thanks for those who loved
as you have loved by giving all
for all who stand in need...

I'm praying today, Lord:
Receive my morning offering
for those who may now need
my heart laid down and given up
that they, too, might be free.

Good God of Monday mornings,
of every memory mine,
be with me on this special day
and every day this week...

Amen.


(Click here for an archive of Monday Morning Offerings)  

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Pause for Prayer on Memorial Day

Image source

Every year the soldiers of the Third United States Infantry Regiment ("The Old Guard") take part in the ceremony called Flags In. Just before Memorial Day, each grave in Arlington National Cemetery is decorated with a small American flag. The flags remain in place until the conclusion of the Memorial Day Weekend when they are all removed. It is the only time during the year when American flags are permitted at all grave sites in the Cemetery. 

Here are two prayers for Memorial Day.  One from my friend Alden Solovy's fine page, To Bend Light and one of my own.

To the Soldier, To the Veteran

These things I do not know:

The sound of a bullet.
The power of a blast.
The blood of a comrade.
The depth of your wound.
The terror at midnight.
The dread at dawn.
Your fear or your pain.

These things I know:

The sound of your honor.
The power of your courage.
The blood of your wound.
The depth of your strength.
The terror that binds you.
The dread that remains.
Your dignity and your valor.

For these things we pray:

The sound of your laughter.
The power of your voice.
The blood of your yearning.
The depth of your healing.
The joy that frees you.
The hope that remains.
Your wholeness and your love.

- by Alden Solovy at ToBendLight


Memorial Day Prayer
In the quiet sanctuaries of our own hearts,

let each of us name and call on the One whose power over us

is great and gentle, firm and forgiving, holy and healing...

You who created us,

who sustain us,

who call us to live in peace,

hear our prayer today.

Hear our prayer for all who have died,

whose hearts and hopes are known to you alone…

Hear our prayer for those who put the welfare of others ahead of their own

and give us hearts as generous as theirs…

Hear our prayer for those who gave their lives in the service of others,

and accept the gift of their sacrifice…

Help us to shape and make a world

where we will lay down the arms of war

and turn our swords into ploughshares for a harvest of justice and peace…

Comfort those who grieve the loss of their loved ones

and let your healing be the hope in our hearts...

Hear our prayer today

and in your mercy answer us

in the name of all that is holy.

Amen.

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Can these bones live?

Ruach: stained glass inspired by Ezekiel 37; source

Homily for Pentecost Sunday

(Scriptures for this homily: Ezekiel, Romans and John)

Audio for homily

Ezekiel invites us to use our imagination here:
to picture this desert plain covered with bones,
with the dry bones of a vanquished army.
Ezekiel is preaching to a defeated, dispirited Israel:
Jerusalem has been destroyed and the temple along with it.
All that’s left are dry bones,
the skeletons of yesterday’s glory and promise,
yesterday’s security and hope.

It’s not a pretty picture.

But if we’re to come to some understanding of Ezekiel’s message,
we going to need to find the courage, perhaps to pray for the courage,
to look at the plains of our own lives, littered
with the lost glory, promise, security and hope of our yesterdays.

• We might look at the Catholic Church,
dispirited by crisis, many of our temples closed and sold;
where once we found security and hope in the Church,
now, too often, we find the dry bones of disappointment and mistrust.

• We might look to a family’s plans crushed by a job loss,
leaving bare bones bank accounts unable to cover the bills.

• We might look to relationships beset by problems,
leaving us thirsty for the sweet waters
of a well we fear has gone dry.

• We might look to the desert of our personal failures
and the burdens of yesterday’s glory and promise wasted,
spent, bone dry under a sun no shade relieves.

• We can look to the dry bones of
cherished hopes - dashed;
dreams - not come true;
plans - scuttled by hard times
and the hopelessness of wondering
why… why not... what if...

It wasn’t a pretty picture for Israel
and it might not be a pretty picture for us, either.
But just as the Lord didn’t leave Ezekiel or Israel in the desert,
neither does he abandon us.

The Lord invites us to look beyond the dry bones,
to hope beyond our hopelessness.

Remember what we read from St. Paul:
We don't hope for what we already see:
we hope for what we don't yet see...  

But often, the hard times we do see
blind us and cut off hope of what's beyond our line of sight.

The Lord shows Ezekiel the bones in the desert
and asks him a hard question,
“Can these bones come to life?”
When the Lord asks us that question,
does our hopelessness keep us from seeing,
keep us from believing what is yet to be?

The Lord then tells Ezekiel to prophesy,
that is to speak to the dry bones,
to speak to his own hopelessness and to say,
“I believe, with the help of God, that there will be new life here,
right here where it seems all hope is gone,
there will be something more.
With God’s help, I will hope for what I can’t see – yet."

God’s Spirit will give new skin and muscle and breath:
to the dry bones of the Church – integrity born of reform;
to failed plans and dreams – new beginnings;
to broken relationships – mending and healing;
to hearts sick with sin – a slate wiped clean with mercy;
and even to the dead – new life beyond the grave and its bones.

The question for us in Ezekiel is this:
do I believe that God is greater than my losses?
that God is stronger than my weakness
that God is more faithful than my hopelessness?

Do I believe that God can accomplish in me what I, so many times,
have failed to achieve on my own?

Do I believe that with God's help:
what I can't see yet will come to be?
that from the dry bones of hopelessness
God will fashion life for me?

In Ezekiel,
the spirit brings new life to the dry bones at the prophet’s feet.
In St. Paul, the groaning in our gut is the Spirit
laboring to bring forth life we hadn't dared to hope for.
In the gospel,
the Spirit breathes mercy into the hearts of apostles who
had betrayed and abandoned Jesus.

On this Pentecost Sunday, this same Spirit offers us courage
to face our dry bones and to hope beyond our dry bones,
to hope for what we can’t yet see,
and for what we desire and for what we believe and pray
God can and will do in our lives.

The power of the Spirit of the Risen Christ
gives the spiritual skin and sinew of the Body and Blood of Christ
to our gifts of bread and wine laid on this table in the Eucharist.

As we receive these gifts,
let’s pray for the courage to face our own dry bones
and for the hope to see what the Lord will make of them.

For so the Lord has promised --
and he will do it.


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