Blessed are the Hungry Ones

I changed the name of the blog over the summer (practically forever ago!) because I feel it is much more fitting of who I am and what I am trying to say.  Here's why...

I have noticed in myself that I am an information gatherer (on occasion referred to as a nerd, but hey we are all being professional here).  Over the past few years this trait has manifested itself in becoming an avid blog follower and binge podcast listener who is constantly tabbing articles and has an ever-growing lists of books hoping to be added to her bookshelf. Sometimes the amount of information I want to soak up can overwhelm me (i.e. when I have 20 tabs open on my internet browser...wowza) which tempts me to see it as a curse, rather than a blessing.

I love to learn in general, but the vast majority of my recreational information gathering is centered around my faith. I am fortunate enough to be attending a university which not only offers, but requires theology and philosophy courses. A marvelous opportunity to feed my nerdiness and expand my knowledge regarding Catholic teaching for which I am extremely grateful, but usually I want to go further.

Last week in a homily on podcast, Fr. Mike Schmitz stated,

"Desire is the foundation for Christianity"

(for the record, the irony of me hearing such a thing in a podcast is acknowledged and embraced)

Saying that I have a desire to know is a major understatement. I have an insatiable hunger and thirst to find the Lord and to seek more of Him in all that I do.  But, being the flawed human being that I am I sometimes become distracted with other things.  The gift God has given me is wasted on things not worthy.  I feel most myself when I am passionately desiring the Lord and filling myself with Him.

Now to explain how "blessed are the hungry ones" became the new and improved name for my blog, I must backtrack a bit.  Obviously, the original source of this phrase comes from Jesus Himself in the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew's gospel.

"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled." Matthew 5:6

Summed up with extreme brevity, I have mainly understood this Beatitude to mean those who seek good things shall be filled with good things. Good things including a plethora of virtues and things of that sort, ya know? Anyways, I found a much deeper personal connection to it despite reading or hearing it numerous times prior (shout out to the over-played and over-rated classic "Lead Me, Lord".....) when I heard it in Audrey Assad's song "Blessed are the Ones."

"We're tossing pennies in the well, empty pockets all turned out. Happy, shining, blessed are the ones who hunger." 

"Pour ourselves out like a wine that we've been saving.  When our well is running dry and when we raise our glasses high.  Happy, shining are the faces of the thirsty."

These two lyrics poetically illustrate the desires of my heart to know and learn and live in the joy found in hungering and thirsting after God.  I want to be able to toss all my pennies and pour myself out for something greater than myself because in return I know I will be receiving a gift unmatched by anything in the temporal world.  One of the many blessings contain within this gift is that the more I learn and gather, the more curious I became.

I thank the Lord everyday for infinite curiosity to explore this absolutely fascinating and beautiful world He has given us.

This idea of hungering for the Lord has been tugging at my heart for awhile now. As said in Kathryn Scott's song

"Hungry I come to you for I know you satisfy.  I am empty, but I know your love does not run dry"

When I am feeling drained and weakened from nature of my sin, my desire can be renewed and restored in the sacrament of Reconciliation.  Receiving forgiveness and healing in such a personal, profound way only encourages me to strive for Him once again.  The Holy Spirit guides me to keep hungering and thirsting for the One who give me life.

So...here's to podcasts, infinite curiosity, and the blessings of being hungry.
cheers.

AL.

P.S. I'm sorry for the incredibly long blogging hiatus...nursing school for the win there.

P.P.S. I also thought "Blessed are the Hungry Ones" would be fitting because I very much enjoying baking/cooking and have dabbled with the idea of throwing a recipe up here on occasion. Thought the title would be a nice little play on words.  Hope you ate that pun right up.....okay I am actually finished rambling now.  I sincerely appreciate you sticking with me until the end...you rock.