Wednesday, August 29, 2007

Today’s text

Luke 13:11-13

And just then there appeared a woman with a spirit that had crippled her for eighteen years. She was bent over was quite unable to stand up straight. When Jesus saw her, he called her over and said, “Woman, you are set free from your ailment.” When he laid his hands on her, immediately she stood up straight and began praising God.

Prayer

It is time again, Jesus, time to buckle our belts and leave summer’s languor, entering again the rigors of autumnal disciplines. We are seldom if ever ready for the change that sweeps too quickly over us, a wave of reality bearing us back to the duties from which we’d (at least) tried to distance ourselves for rest and Sabbath. Occasionally, we were successful, and we promise ourselves that we will do better next year. Right.

Now, we gather ourselves and begin again a new year, a new semester. There are new faces to learn and the challenge of knowing and trying to love each of them as best we can, while feeding the ravenous desire for paper of various bureaucracies which pretend to know us better than they do.

But only you know us, Jesus. And you know there are and will be days, too many to number, when we will desperately need you to touch us that we may stand straight and praise you. Praising you is born of the strength and startled joy that you alone bring to us.

We know your touch, for you have touched us body and soul in the past. We know what it is to be liberated from the ailments of heart and mind that weigh us to earth so that our hearts do not soar. And soaring is your will for us. Of that I am convinced.

So touch us again with the presence of that love we know no where else. Feed us with word and blessed sacrament; surround us with hands and limbs that are sacraments of your holy and surprising grace. We crave your touch. We don’t want a single moment when we experience separation from you.

Call our names, touch our hearts that we, too, may straighten to praise your unfailing mercies and live filled with the joy you intend for us and for all. That will be our best praise of the wonder you are.

Pr. David L. Miller