THURSDAY, October 29 (James Hannington and his Companions)

Sea glass collecting becomes more difficult every day, thanks to the proliferation of plastic containers over glass ones and the increase in recycling. When jagged, clear glass pieces are found on the beach, seasoned collectors urge that they be returned to the water, as those pieces are "not finished yet."

Often we find ourselves in situations that seem to have no way out, no possibility of redemption. Sometimes life feels so hard that we cannot see the preciousness, at least not in the moment. We feel hopeless, like exiles. But perhaps we are "not finished yet" in terms of our ability to learn from or see the light in our experiences. As people of hope, we can look for the light and value in every experience.

Those jagged pieces of glass must go back into the deep, vast ocean of God. There the sharp edges become smooth. There, those pieces, once dangerous, become precious to us.

PRAY for the Diocese of Trinidad and Tobago (West Indies)

Ps 50 * [59, 60] or 103; Revelation 5:11-6:11; Matthew 13:18-23