Gearing for the Journey
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THE DESERT OWL
BY MARY OLIVIA PATINO
“I am like a desert owl, like an owl among the ruins. I lie awake and moan.” -Psalm 102:7
We may have heard the expression: ‘He/she is a night-owl'. Usually, this brings images of a person staying up all hours of the night. Sometimes working over a project; studying for an exam from a worn, open book; other times watching a program on You Tube or a classic movie just for fun; or listening to a podcast or audiobook. Perhaps, the night-owl just can’t sleep well at all.
So, while staying up all hours could be for any of the reasons above, I wonder what else is happening? What other factors cause one’s inability to sleep comfortably and get needed rest? What worries, concerns, illness, or sorrows keep us awake through the night?
I have faced some of these sleepless nights-my eyes dragging back and forth, drooping- seeking rest...When I fractured my ribs, in pain, and couldn't move or cough, or sleep well. When pain, stress or distress attacks me, I find these moments are also a special time for me to raise my eyes to the Lord. Then, I can cry and shed my concerns upon His mercy. Of course, sometimes I've felt that I just had to bear the pain without any relief...Just held on to my rosary.
At times, I sense these moments as unexpected blessings, i.e., opportunities for me to think about others and lift them and their physical or spiritual needs in prayer. Trusting in the Lord, His Holy Spirit comes to our aid.
Today, most pressing, we are going through very turbulent times. People are suffering from poverty; from natural disasters; from personal tragedies, and other anxieties. It is natural that we may, like the desert owl in the Psalm, moan our sorrows as we grieve, seeking relief.
Let us be desert owls joined in community, attending to the spiritual or physical needs of those around us. Let us join in prayer. Let us turn to God in praise and petition.
“My help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth.” -Psalm 121:2
"For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them." -Matthew 18:20
Lord, when I am wracked with woe, come to my aid, ease or heal my pain, transform me into a prayer warrior for Thee.
For Reflection: When have you felt like a desert owl whose cry rises to God? How have you felt God’s blessings at such times? What image, besides the desert owl, stands out for you?
Mary Olivia Patiño is a writer and poet. She enjoys photography and integrates it into creative design, and in her published books. For several years, she facilitated a faith-based writing group which she formed in collaboration with parishioners.
A lay person, she reflects on her past ministry and day-to-day experiences where she encounters God's presence, She is an Oblate of the Order of St. Benedict with the Benedictine Sisters of St. Scholastica. She is a graduate of the Oblate School of Theology and of Our Lady of the Lake University in San Antonio, Texas.
