By fr. JLucas. May 7, 2026

Today, I feel tired.

Not the kind of tired that a quick nap fixes, but the kind that sits deep in the bones. My body feels drained, my energy low, and if I am honest… I feel a bit worthless. It is a hard thing to admit, especially when, on the outside, everything still looks like it is moving.

This week, the Scriptures have been so beautiful—full of encouragement, full of promise, full of peace. The kind of words that should settle the heart. And yet, here I am, not at peace. My body seems to be responding to it too—losing a couple of pounds, feeling off, not quite myself.

It’s a strange place to be…
To know what is true, but not feel it fully.

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My friend Wally has been steady in his advice: “Take it easy. Don’t overthink. Everything will be okay.” Simple words. Good words. Words I know I should hold on to.

But today, even simple things felt heavy.

I went to teach my classes, prepared as always. Notes ready, lessons clear. But somewhere between starting and finishing, my mind kept drifting. I was there… but not fully there. Present in body, absent in focus. And that, for someone who gives himself to his students, felt frustrating.

So I left early.

Not out of defeat, but out of honesty. Sometimes, the most responsible thing you can do is to recognize your limits and step away.

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I came home and moved slowly through the afternoon. Made a late lunch. Took a cool shower. Then lay down.

That nap… it didn’t fix everything, but it gave me just enough strength to move again. I woke up, did my laundry, cleaned my little “palace,” and in those small, ordinary actions, something within me began to settle—just a little.

There is something quietly healing about putting things in order when you feel out of order.

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And now, as the day comes to an end, I find myself not with answers… but with a prayer.

A simple one.

An honest one.

Fr. God, I don’t know what is going on within me.

But I am very sure You are within me.

Even in this tiredness…
Even in this lack of peace…
Even in this confusion…

You are here.

I feel Your presence.
I believe in Your love.
Even when I cannot fully feel Your peace.

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So tonight, I ask:

Lord, give me peace.
Not the kind that depends on how I feel,
but the kind that holds me even when I don’t feel steady.

Help me to rest without guilt.
Help me to trust without overthinking.
Help me to be still… even when my mind is not.

Because maybe peace is not always loud or obvious.

Maybe sometimes, peace is quiet…
hidden in a nap,
in clean clothes,
in a simple meal,
in the courage to keep going.

And maybe that is enough for today.