Let Me Just . . .

First Reading: Job 9:1-12, 14-16

Job answered his friends and said:

I know well that it is so;
but how can a man be justified before God?
Should one wish to contend with him,
he could not answer him once in a thousand times.
God is wise in heart and mighty in strength;
who has withstood him and remained unscathed?

He removes the mountains before they know it;
he overturns them in his anger.
He shakes the earth out of its place,
and the pillars beneath it tremble.
He commands the sun, and it rises not;
he seals up the stars.

He alone stretches out the heavens
and treads upon the crests of the sea.
He made the Bear and Orion,
the Pleiades and the constellations of the south;
He does great things past finding out,
marvelous things beyond reckoning.

Should he come near me, I see him not;
should he pass by, I am not aware of him;
Should he seize me forcibly, who can say him nay?
Who can say to him, “What are you doing?”

How much less shall I give him any answer,
or choose out arguments against him!
Even though I were right, I could not answer him,
but should rather beg for what was due me.
If I appealed to him and he answered my call,
I could not believe that he would hearken to my words.

Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 88:10BC-11, 12-13, 14-15

R. (3) Let my prayer come before you, Lord.
Daily I call upon you, O LORD;
to you I stretch out my hands.
Will you work wonders for the dead?
Will the shades arise to give you thanks?
R. Let my prayer come before you, Lord.
Do they declare your mercy in the grave,
your faithfulness among those who have perished?
Are your wonders made known in the darkness,
or your justice in the land of oblivion?
R. Let my prayer come before you, Lord.
But I, O LORD, cry out to you;
with my morning prayer I wait upon you.
Why, O LORD, do you reject me;
why hide from me your face?
R. Let my prayer come before you, Lord.

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.”

NAB

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Daily prayer—Scripture in particular—is hard for me. And here I am a devotional writer for our community of Blessed is She! Maybe that is why I do it: I like a challenge.

Maybe you've also heard the lyrics, “When I rise / Give me Jesus,” from that song by Jeremy Camp, but it’s not like that for me most mornings. Most days, I wake up and I’m craving a shower. Then I want breakfast because I’m SO hungry. And I just need to check my email really quickly to see what is in store for today. And I’ll just answer a few of those emails—the easy ones. And I’ll make a list of what I need to do; be sure to add prayer to the list! Then, I’ll just start with the simple-to-cross-off items so I can really focus on the Lord. Once I get those things done, I will be ready to pray. But first, let me just . . . .

Gosh, even when I see a deadline approaching for my work here, out come the distractions. I’ll just hop on Facebook to see what is new. Then I will peruse the readings. Man, those are deep. I might be too tired. Maybe I will do it tomorrow. Besides, I need to research a new gym bag because mine is hideous. And then let me just . . . .

And don’t we see this phenomenon in today’s Gospel? Lord, let me go first and or I will follow you, Lord, but first let me . . . . These to-do items seem really important too: burying the dead and bidding farewell to family. But that is where Jesus makes His point. It’s not important. Nothing is as important as following Him. Right now.

For me, I see that I need to discipline myself to crave Jesus first thing in the morning. I would love my world to stop until I have spent time with Him. And maybe the first few weeks, it is five agonizing minutes of making space beyond the to-do list. With practice and habit, it will feel easier and more regular. Wanting to spend more quality time with the Lord is a prayer He will always answer.

Nothing is as important as following Him. Right now. // @callherhappyClick to tweet

What is it for you that you need to decide to put Jesus first? Is it morning prayer? Is it clearing your mind on the commute to work? Is it just deciding to go to Adoration or Mass today?

Jenna Hines has teeny army of three children and is married to a bearded fellow named Mike. A former high school English teacher, she now stays at home where she blogs and runs a crafty embroidery business. You can find out more about her here.