August 22, 2025 // Memorial of the Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Read the Word // Open your Bible to today’s First Reading: Ruth 1:1, 3-6, 14b-16, 22
Reflect on the Word //
Usually, when I read the book of Ruth or hear her declaration of loyalty read at a wedding, I am drawn to the person of Ruth—the heroine and strong, faithful daughter-in-law who bound herself to Naomi and became the great-grandmother of King David and the ancestor of Jesus. But this time it is Naomi who comes into sharp focus. As I ponder the words departed, died, left, died also, good-bye, go back, abandon, and forsake, which are woven together in today’s First Reading in an almost dispassionate account of Naomi’s life, the themes of loss and bitter disappointment emerge.
There is so much for Naomi to bear: exile from her native people and land of Israel, the deaths of her husband and sons, the loss of her second home in Moab, and the departure of her daughter-in-law Orpah. Scripture describes Naomi as “the woman [who] was left with neither her two sons nor her husband” (Ruth 1:5), underlining the dire circumstances of a destitute widow without social standing, protection, support, or financial provision. I can’t even imagine the deep grief, pain, and disappointment she experienced. In a place far away from the home and life she hoped for, she must have felt alone, forsaken, and afraid.
The Holy Spirit gently leads me to the places in my own heart that are filled with recent losses and bitter disappointments, which I have allowed to become occasions for complaining, self-pity, sadness, and fear. Jesus comes close and places His healing hand upon my battered heart. As He gently but firmly uncurls my fingers from tightly held plans and expectations, I surrender to Him again like our Blessed Mother Mary: Not my will, but Thy will be done.
Naomi’s story ends with the hope and promise of a future restoration beyond what she could have imagined. Our stories, though tinged with hardship and loss, do not end there, but are meant to end in Heaven, being crowned as daughters of God like Mary on today’s feast. Sister, join me today in surrendering your litany of losses and disappointments to the only One Who can heal our hearts, fill what is empty, restore what is lost, and transform them into glorious possibilities.
Relate to the Lord // Is there a loss or disappointment in your life that keeps you from loving or trusting the Lord? Share your heart with Him.
Debra Herbeck is a Jewish convert to the Church who serves extensively in youth and women’s ministry. She directs Pine Hills Girls Camp (for 34 years), and is the Founder and Director of Be Love Revolution, a ministry for high school girls. Find her books here. She and her husband have four children and eight grandchildren. She is the author of Blessed Conversations: Misericordia. Find out more about her here.
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