Greetings!  Becky has given me the honor of posting a reflection this evening, and I hope that it brings you life as Becky’s posts often do for me.

According to the dictionary, a messenger is a “person who carries a message.”  I like to think that a messenger can deliver a message without knowing they are doing so, without knowing what the result will be, or without understanding the very nature of their message.  Malachi is just such a messenger, sent before Jesus and John the Baptist to “prepare the way.”

It is sometimes easy to think about who the messengers are in our lives.  Becky has hinted at some of those messengers in her life (Shoulders of Giants, Haiti, and even Where’s God?) in her prior posts.  We receive messages constantly, whether through those influential people sharing their gifts and wisdom with us, through the compassionate thoughts of a trusted companion, or even through the innocent questioning of a child.  These messengers call us to think deeply about our past, present and future in a hopeful way.

While we often examine how we receive messages, we should also consider how we are a messenger to the others in our lives.  We can be the compassionate friend that shares a hopeful message with someone who needs to hear it.  We can bring a joyful innocence to another.  We can share our gifts, wisdom and talents with others.  We too can be the messenger, bringing a powerful and joyful message to those who are in need of hope, inspiration, or even forgiveness.

What sort of messenger do I make?
What messages do I feel called to deliver?

~Chris

Becky Eldredge

Becky is an Ignatian-trained spiritual director, retreat facilitator, and writer. She is the author of the Busy Lives and Restless Souls (March 2017, Loyola Press) and The Inner Chapel (April 2020, Loyola Press). She helps others create space to connect faith and everyday life through facilitating retreats and days of reflection, through writing, and through spiritual direction. With nearly twenty years of ministry experience within the Catholic Church, Becky seeks to help others discover God at work in the every day moments of people’s lives by utilizing St. Ignatius’ Spiritual Exercises and the many gifts that our Catholic faith and Ignatian Spirituality provide.