STRENGTH TO THE WEARIE

PRAYER MOMENT 

Wednesday 10 December 2014

STRENGTH TO THE WEARIED

             

Pause. Enter into the stillness of God within.

Reading: “He gives strength to the wearied, he strengthens the powerless. Young men may grow tired and weary, youths may stumble, but those who hope in the Lord renew their strength.” (Isaiah 40:25-31)

Reflection. Who does not get weary? Even Jesus did. He cried out ‘How much longer must I put up with you?’ I sometimes fantasise Obama going before the camaras and saying, ‘I am fed up with the lot of you. A pest on both your houses!’ We get tired and weary and our Advent readings recognise that.  We get tempted to give up. ‘What’s the point? No one is listening.’ We know too that this is a hazard. Weariness means we are reaching our limits. It calls us to step back; to rest, review and recuperate. We need to distance ourselves from the daily round and look at it from outside, as it were. The Sabbath and Sunday are institutions that remind us of this need. When we turn to the Lord he gives us ‘rest.’

Prayer. Lord, let us not be so involved and driven that we never stand back and look at our lives. Help us to review and gain strength from you to always see things anew. Amen.  

David Harold-Barry SJ