32nd Sunday of Ordinary Time

In the same way our physical bodies crave water, our souls long for God. Perhaps we don’t even realize it because it is so easy to district ourselves with anything and everything else. But what if it is God that we seek when we spend hours while scrolling on social media, shopping for things we may not even need, or experiencing loneliness or lack of connection like a physical ache? What do we do to satisfy that longing? Maybe we reach for food, technology, entertainment, or relationships that aren’t healthy to temporarily satisfy our desire, but that desire will always come back. Maybe it is because our souls were not made for this world.

St. Augustine famously noted in his Confessions that “you have made us and drawn us to yourself, and our heart is restless until it rests in you.” In this our minds, hearts, and souls can feel that same cry of the Psalmist, crying out in thirst for the goodness of God. What can we do to respond to this innate desire for God?

The Gospel suggests that we keep our eyes focused and wakeful on the promise of Heaven. We may not know the day nor the hour, but we know the Bridegroom is coming because just as our souls long for God, He longs for us in return. We can look to Scripture to see all that the Lord has done and let that promise reassure our restless hearts that what God has done, He will do again and again. We may need to take a break from the noise of our hectic schedules, bright screens, and even our own expectations to sit with the Lord in silence and let Him fill our hearts instead with the very thing we were created for—Himself.

What is one practical way you can spend intentional time with the Lord this week?

Is there a habit you and your family can start building to keep God at the center of your daily life?

What is your heart longing for in your current season?