I gathered my belongings off the cobblestone and started my walk to the train station. As I gallivanted solo through the streets of the south of France, I was so thankful Jesus had arranged this trip for me, en route to Lourdes. I looked up ahead and noticed a gathering of French law enforcement officers standing around, made a mental note, and carried on scrolling through my feed.
Before I could look up again, I heard a metal canister hit the ground, and I found myself in a cloud of tear gas. I had unknowingly approached the perimeter of a massive riot. As I started to feel burning from the inside out, I locked eyes with the responsible officer who was beating members of the crowd with a club. Weaving through the long line of military tanks, I was able to find a way to clean air and rinse my eyes in a nearby canal.
I woke up the following day in Lourdes, and I could still smell the tear gas on my burned hands.
Today’s First Reading strangely reminded me of that dark, violating smell.
“Be imitators of God, as beloved children, and live in love, as Christ loved us and handed himself over for us as a sacrificial offering to God for a fragrant aroma” (Ephesians 5:1-2).
That morning, I washed my hands in the water at the grotto. The panic I was still holding onto became my great offering. The lingering smell of chemicals rose as incense, as I lifted the darkness of the memory to Jesus. The memory of the violent crowd was redeemed by the stability of the sanctuary in front of me. I experienced deep, unspoken healing as I handed myself over, and allowed this weird moment of my history to become a meaningful part of my life offering.
Sister, what is the fragrant offering of your life today?
The panic I was still holding onto became my great offering. // @sarahericksonn Click to tweet
Jesus, I offer You the fullness of our lives today, that we would entrust You with every experience of fear and anxiety, that our stories would become a fragrance for Your glory.
Sarah Elizabeth is a graduate student studying International Security. She earned her Bachelor’s in Politics from The Catholic University of America, and now resides in the Washington, DC area with her cat, Regina. Originally from Arizona, Sarah treasures iced oat milk lattes, mountain views, and Saint John Henry Newman. She is a contributing author to Blessed Conversations: Dwell and Here Too: Where We Find God. Find out more about her here.
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