Filled

“Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled.”

It’s quite obvious Jesus isn’t speaking about being filled after we just finished our favorite meal, but for some reason my thoughts always go right to food when I read these words.  Many times, at the beginning of my day, I’m thinking, “What am I preparing for dinner tonight?”  Maybe it should be replaced with “Jesus, how can I do a better job being filled with righteousness today?  Our physical hunger pains will always return, keeping us in a state of emptiness and feeling unsatisfied until we eat again.  What is lasting in Jesus’ eyes is to focus on our inner hunger and thirst for living out each day with which He has blessed us.  What should you and I be thirsting for instead of our next meal or drink?  Goodness, virtue, decency, integrity, honesty, honor, and morality are just a few of the descriptive words when I looked up the definition of righteousness.  I don’t know about you, but I immediately worry – how do I even attempt to be more like Jesus when, many times, it’s so easy to get distracted with so many things during the day.  We’re focused on getting our children off  to school, worrying about our job and work that has deadlines, making sure the food shopping and other chores get done and those bills that need to get paid.  It’s definitely a juggling act!   I’m sure it’s not your thought first thing in the morning to make sure your day is filled with righteousness.  So how do we do a better job this Lent, and beyond, at following Jesus’ desire for each of us to be filled with His goodness?  There’s a beautiful practice, called the Daily Examen, which is a short, prayerful reflection done at the end of our day.   So, when your head finally hits the pillow at night, take a few minutes to quiet your mind.  St. Ignatius adapted this practice and thought it was a gift that came directly from God.   Put the prayer below by your bedside to remind you to:  First, look at your day through God’s eyes; thank God for your day and all your blessings, both seen and unseen; review your day; recall what you could have done better; and ask God to help you do a better job tomorrow.   So, let’s change our cravings during this Lent, more for His Word, His direction, and all the things that are righteous in Jesus’ eyes.   Together, we can all experience true fullness with our Lord, Jesus Christ, God the Father, and the Holy Spirit.  We will walk through each day with more hope, faith and love for each other by being filled with righteousness.  This alone lifts my spirits to the fullness (and overflowing) level.  How about you?