First Reading: Nehemiah 2:1-8
In the month Nisan of the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, when the wine was in my charge, I took some and offered it to the king. As I had never before been sad in his presence, the king asked me, “Why do you look sad? If you are not sick, you must be sad at heart.” Though I was seized with great fear, I answered the king: “May the king live forever! How could I not look sad when the city where my ancestors are buried lies in ruins, and its gates have been eaten out by fire?” The king asked me, “What is it, then, that you wish?” I prayed to the God of heaven and then answered the king: “If it please the king, and if your servant is deserving of your favor, send me to Judah, to the city of my ancestors’ graves, to rebuild it.” Then the king, and the queen seated beside him, asked me how long my journey would take and when I would return. I set a date that was acceptable to him, and the king agreed that I might go. I asked the king further: “If it please the king, let letters be given to me for the governors of West-of-Euphrates, that they may afford me safe-conduct until I arrive in Judah; also a letter for Asaph, the keeper of the royal park, that he may give me wood for timbering the gates of the temple-citadel and for the city wall and the house that I shall occupy.” The king granted my requests, for the favoring hand of my God was upon me.
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 137:1-2, 3, 4-5, 6
Let my tongue be silenced if I ever forget you! By the streams of Babylon we sat and wept when we remembered Zion. On the aspens of that land we hung up our harps. Though there our captors asked of us the lyrics of our songs, And our despoilers urged us to be joyous: “Sing for us the songs of Zion!” How could we sing a song of the LORD in a foreign land? If I forget you, Jerusalem, may my right hand be forgotten! May my tongue cleave to my palate if I remember you not, If I place not Jerusalem ahead of my joy.
Gospel: Luke 9:57-62
As Jesus and his disciples were proceeding on their journey, someone said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.” Jesus answered him, “Foxes have dens and birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to rest his head.” And to another he said, “Follow me.” But he replied, “Lord, let me go first and bury my father.” But he answered him, “Let the dead bury their dead. But you, go and proclaim the Kingdom of God.” And another said, “I will follow you, Lord, but first let me say farewell to my family at home.” Jesus answered him, “No one who sets a hand to the plow and looks to what was left behind is fit for the Kingdom of God.”
ESV
But first, coffee. It’s a common little phrase sometimes screen-printed on a t-shirt or mug giving off the vibe that before any normal functioning is to take place, coffee must be consumed. I get it. I’ve been there. And, most days it still does give me that extra boost of energy necessary to get the day going!
Coffee is a good thing, and for busy women, sometimes a necessary thing. But, what if our lives revolved around a little change in the phrase . . . but first, Jesus?
I know I don’t always jump out of bed in the mornings seeking Him before my morning cup. Yet, I should. Because what He does for my soul, and thus my daily existence, is far more important than what coffee does for my energy level.
I will read more of my Bible when I get caught up with these photos I have to edit. I will pray more after I just mark a couple things off my to-do list. I will take time to rest in him and be quiet . . . but first, I must tidy the house. There is always something I’m looking back on. I always have “just one more thing” to take care of before I feed my soul. Honestly, my phrase at this very moment reads: everything else, then Jesus . . . if I have time.
In the Gospel today, Jesus doesn’t even let His disciples tell their families goodbye, much less let them finish replying to an email before picking up and following after Him.
If I started my day with Him, would I worry less? Would I feel less obligated to fret over the amount of daily tasks I accomplish? Would I be freer to do all for His glory, even if that only meant one out of ten things I hoped to do? Ultimately, would I be more at peace? How could I not?! In putting Him literally first in my days, they cannot help but be off to a better start!
Tomorrow (even today!) try feeding your soul first, and then have that cup of coffee. I have a feeling we’ll both find that having Jesus first might be what we’ve been missing all along! But first, Jesus!
Britt Fisk is the wife of Jeremy and mother of four young kids. She spends her days living simply in the-middle-of-nowhere-New Mexico helping with the family beef cattle operation. You can find out more about her here.
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