Overwhelmed
From this weekend’s Responsorial Psalm 80:20,
“O Lord, God of hosts, restore us; if your face shine upon us, then we shall be saved.”
Who would have suspected that I would be grateful to spend last Saturday not outside enjoying nature? It was a gorgeous, Indian-summer kind of day and there I was, indoors, attending a retreat. The surroundings at our new diocesan retreat center are beautiful. The building is full of windows and light, very comfortable, and there is a wonderful chapel. I encourage you to take a drive this Fall to little Magnolia, Illinois to walk around and check out Sacre Coeur (Sacred Heart), a lovely place of spiritual retreat.
Last Saturday, my day was filled with great speakers, time for spiritual reflection, plus meeting and visiting with other parishioners from around our diocese. There was time for Adoration, the sacrament of Reconciliation and even a nice walk after lunch. The day ended with Mass celebrated by Bishop Lou. It was a day of nourishment for both body and spirit, one I had not realized I needed so badly until it was almost over.
One of the retreat speakers urged us to be “overwhelmed by the person of Jesus.” That phrase spoke to my heart. I began to contemplate what overwhelmed by Jesus could look like in my life. Am I called to recognize and welcome His presence in my life instead of being overwhelmed by life events, discouraged about world politics, overcome by sorrow and pain? Loneliness and negative feelings about one’s self-worth are overwhelming in the lives of so many. The changing seasons can be overwhelmingly different for some, bringing less daylight and feelings of depression. I remember how often my mom’s bipolar episodes coincided with a change in seasons. Fall was an especially tough time for her. I believe she received the grace of picking up the pieces of her life and starting anew after spiraling through manic depression thanks to her overwhelming love of and trust in Jesus.
Another retreat speaker asked the question, “How can one participate in the renewal of our faith community?” The answer: Go. Enter the mission of making disciples. This starts with both knowing the person of Jesus and growing your relationship with Him. Prayer. Study. Scripture reading. Retreats. These are all great spiritual tools for the mission of growing disciples.
When we allow ourselves to be overwhelmed with the Lord, we are welcoming his life-giving presence and peace that is both sacramental and transformative. It does not require being on retreat to be overwhelmed with Jesus, but it sure can help.
Jesus, I choose to be overwhelmed by you. I choose to remember that You have already overcome all that is overwhelming. All our failures and all our fears, God our love, you have overcome. May I be overwhelmed with you each and every day.
