August 20, 2026 // Memorial of Saint Bernard, Abbot and Doctor of the Church

Read the Word // Open your Bible to today’s First Reading: Ezekiel 36:23-28 

Reflect on the Word // 

I smiled politely, said, “No worries at all,” and then replayed the conversation in my head for the next six hours.

While folding laundry, answering emails, and brushing my teeth, I kept thinking about that conversation. The more I replayed it, the more irritated I became. I imagined better responses and cleverer comebacks. By bedtime, my chest felt tight and heavy. This situation was really hard. It amazed me how quickly this small wound could harden into resentment.

In Ezekiel 36, the Lord says, “I will give you a new heart and place a new spirit within you, taking from your bodies your stony hearts and giving you natural hearts” (Ezekiel 36:26).

The phrase “stony hearts” feels painfully specific. Some stones form after heartbreak or betrayal. Others grow quietly through daily disappointments. A woman can build an entire wall from tiny bricks of comparison, resentment, control, or exhaustion. We sometimes use these stones to hide our vulnerabilities. The frightening part is that hardened hearts can begin to feel normal.

Yet, the Lord does not shame His people in the book of Ezekiel. He does not command them to fix themselves first. He promises to act. “I will sprinkle clean water upon you” (Ezekiel 36:25). “I will give you a new heart” (Ezekiel 36:26). We all carry hidden stones in our hearts. Some are obvious. Others have rested there so long that we barely notice their weight anymore. Yet, the Lord sees every hidden stone we carry, even the ones we cling to.  He comes close enough to remove them gently because He desires soft hearts within us. He still draws near to us weary women, transforms what has hardened, and teaches us how to live freely again.

Relate to the Lord // Where has your heart become hardened? Share that stony place with Him honestly.