By 11:30 am, I'll have had a half dozen conversations via different media. I'll have forgotten to eat and be hypoglycemically cranky. I'll be loathe to drive, although living within walking distance of church probably wouldn't make a huge difference in my mood -- or my ability to show up on time.
This morning, I posted this thought on Twitter: "Wonder what God has in mind for me today & how it will be revealed."
My open embrace of divine providence? Pretty much shut down by the time I got into my car. Plus, the prospect of reading what was scheduled didn't elevate my mood at all.
So, imagine my delight to race in late to find: 1) the credence table had already been set up by another parishioner; 2) because it's the Feast Day of St. Catherine of Siena, I'd be proclaiming special readings; and 3) Friday night's movie had been changed from Chocolat to The Bells of St. Mary's. "You announce that," said the Chief Operating Priest, "you're standing closer to the am
bo."Hard to feel anything but joy while reading, "God is light; in him there is no darkness at all" (1 John 1:5) and "Praise the Lord, O my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name" (Psalm 103:1). These words, during today's homily about St. Catherine of Siena, generated grateful relief: "She proved that prayer and activism go together."
Today, God has revealed how faith has nothing to do with mood. Nor, should my mood determine if, when, and how I serve God and the people of God. I wonder how often God will have to re- reveal this revelation to me. According to the Lector schedule, probably Sunday morning.
