| Memorial
of St. Francis Borgia, S.J.
Nehemiah 2:1-8
Life exceeds dreams. We pray for comfort and release. But it wasn’t supposed to be like this. All along we knew what to look for. We were not asleep. We kept watch. And still we’re taken by surprise. You came among us and we knew you not. Just a knocking. Who can guard so many doors? You slipped in. We dream of a homeland. The city of our ancestors lies in ruins. Where the temple once stood and God moved among us. Now freedom has fled and the people have turned from God. Let me return to that city and rebuild the walls. Weapon in one hand and stone in another. Here we will be free again. We promise to be faithful. We cling to custom in times of trouble. My house is too small for this loneliness. We leave home and seek one another. Squeezed into the pew, the stranger beside me feels warm. Our voices soar. “Lean on me. When you’re not strong.” We are in this together. Jesus, how can we not bury the dead? How can we not dream of
a home that is safe? How can we not weep for all that is lost?
Please slip into my uncertain heart. Show me the way that is stronger
than weapons and walls. Help me not to forget you.
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