A Concord Pastor Comments: Monday Morning Offering: OCTOBER 14

Image: George Mendoza

Audio for today's Monday Morning Offering

Good morning, good God!

I want to thank you for the gift
of a moment of grace,
yesterday morning at the 11:30 Mass,
as the collection was being taken
and the choir sang their anthem...

I was tired, it was my third Mass
on a morning filled with far more than
the usual number of ringing cell phones
and other assorted worries and distractions...

But then came this moment of grace,
a gift from you to me
when all my problems dissolved
to some place far from mind and heart
and all good things rushed to the fore:
my soul and my imagination
captured by your grace, centering me on you,
your presence and your people gathered around,
a communion of grace, a moment of peace,
a gift from you...

You took over, Lord, and barged your way in
through the wall of worries and fears I build
when my trust in you grows faint
and my foolish self-reliance proves again
how weak I truly am...

At 12:10 p.m. you commandeered my soul
and took possession of my spirits:
while the choir filled my heart with song
and your people's presence buoyed me up
you filled me with your grace
and I found myself at peace with you,
with all and even with myself...

Of course, the moment passed, Lord:
such gifts of grace are but a taste
of what's prepared but yet to come...

And yet I know such moments knock on my heart's door
more often than I answer and sometimes
I'm so hard at work building walls, I fail to notice
when you barge on in with grace...

I miss the moment:
walled in, toughened, self-protected and distracted,
blind to the pure beauty of your presence
and the peace that seeks to flood my heart of hearts...

But yesterday morning at the 11:30 Mass,
as the collection was being taken
and the choir sang their anthem,
you made your way into my soul, Lord,
and in a moment's grace you had me
and you held me...

Find my undefended openings, Lord,
and take advantage of my weakness:
barge in as often as you like and take possession,
commandeer my spirit
and give the grace that brings me peace...

Amen.