June 3, 2025 // Memorial of Saint Charles Lwanga and Companions, Martyrs
Read the Word // Open your Bible to today’s Psalm: Psalm 68:10-11, 20-21
Reflect on the Word //
I peek out my dining room window and spot my son under a rainbow of spray escaping the hose. I watch as he carefully turns to water each corner, knowing he’s already pulled a weed or two and diligently inspected for pests.
Tendrils of green burst out of the confines of our backyard garden. Pops of red tomatoes, yellow squash, and green, green, green vegetation overwhelming it all. The warmth of summer beckons life everywhere. And yet, only a few months ago, everything was vastly different. What now is fruitful and thriving was a dusty brown bed full of dead stalks from the previous year.
“A bountiful rain you showered down” (Psalm 68:10). Our hearts can become a parched land, longing to be alive but feeling dry and thirsty. The Father wants to restore the land of our souls. All we have to be ready with is offering our patch of dirt. He longs to bring it to life.
“You restored the land when it languished” (Psalm 68:10). We need His grace to water our souls and allow us to grow. We need Him to pull the weeds (the sins) from our lives. And we need to remember that it takes time for restoration to happen.
“Blessed day by day be the Lord, who bears our burdens” (Psalm 68:20). The Lord wants us to be at peace, releasing our cares to Him. We can rest in the gardens of our hearts, enjoying the beauty that surrounds us, trusting in the love of the Father.
May we allow our Lord to be the Gardener of our souls, passing Him the trowel, allowing Him to root out the choking weeds, tenderly care for the plants, and bring life to us.
Relate to the Lord // Invite Jesus the Gardener into your soul. Allow Him to show you where you need nurturing or pruning.
Sarah Ortiz is a Catholic convert, wife, and mother to five boys while living in a 200-year-old farmhouse in Western New York. When not folding laundry, she can be found reading, experimenting in the kitchen, keeping the family library, or snagging amazing antique furniture deals. She was a contributing author to Set a Fire. Find out more about her here.
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