5th Week in Ordinary Time
When you send forth your spirit, they are created, and you renew the face of the earth. (Psalm 104:30)
Not every part of our globe experiences winter as cold and snowy. But we all know what it feels like to experience “winter” in our personal lives. It may feel to our souls the way frozen landscapes and chilly temperatures feel to our bodies: dreary, desolate, and in need of warmth and renewal.
If you’re feeling that way, today’s psalm can give you hope. The psalmist speaks of God’s work of creating and his work of renewal. God’s Holy Spirit is the creative force behind everything in the universe. But it’s also the Spirit who takes what has already been created and renews it. In his encyclical letter On Care for our Common Home, Pope Francis tells us that “the Spirit of God has filled the universe with possibilities,” and because of all these possibilities, “something new can always emerge” (Laudato Si, 80).
In nature we know that underneath the snow and ice, beneath the dead and decomposing plants of the previous season, lie seeds that will burst forth with life at the right time. So too with us. God is particularly good at finding the seeds beneath whatever may feel dead in us and bringing them to life.
So what kind of renewal might God want to do in you? Perhaps he wants to restore a broken relationship or put new life into an old one. Or he may want to renew your heart by helping you clear out old resentments and grudges. Maybe he wants to bolster your faith or give you new insights about his love. Or perhaps he wants to give you a renewed desire to share the gospel or care for the poor.
Don’t ever underestimate God’s desire—or his ability—to renew what feels old and stale in your life. He is always sending forth his Spirit to create new life and new possibilities. He is always at work to bring refreshment and renewal. Every winter is temporary, even spiritual winters. God has a plan to bring life to every seed he has planted. In his perfect timing, you will see spring bursting forth in all its glory.
“Lord, renew and re-create in me whatever feels tired and used up.”
Genesis 2:4-9, 15-17
Mark 7:14-23
