Now, That's Humbling

Life passes in a flurry of activity.

I've learned to appreciate the liturgical year. It gives rhythm to life, focuses prayer when I might otherwise not know where to turn my mind, and allows me to "feel" with the Church.

The liturgy of the hours, for example, puts psalms of sorrow and whoa on my lips. I know that I am praying for the persecuted throughout the world, for those whose hearts are crying out, ". I might not have sentiments of sorrow, but with the psalms I can pray for those much closer to Christ in his moment of agony, "My God, My God, why have you abandoned me?"

This morning, the Church prayed, "O God, you are my God, for you I long; for you my soul is thirsting." I recalled the many, many souls who are dying of thirst while trying to quench it with toxins. I think of those who have already tasted the sweetness of Christ, and now long to be totally immersed in this goodness. My own soul longs for God. Thanks to the Church, I prayed for all of these this morning, and so much more.

The liturgy is a humbling thing because it makes you an instrument for the prayer of the Church and simultaneously draws you more intimately into the Church, that is, Christ.

That's nothing new. Being humbled I mean. Today, I also thought of my vocation. As a Father Kolbe Missionary of the Immaculata, totally consecrated to God, my vocation is to consistently turn to God to satiate my thirst. My vocation is to bring others to this same everlasting source of water. My vocation is to pray without ceasing so that I can be a presence of Christ and Mary for thirsting souls.

Now, that's humbling.