Today we’re going to have a short lesson on a phrase found many times in the Bible: “Gird your loins.” Before sending Jeremiah to be a prophet, God tells him, “Gird your loins” (Jer. 1:17). God also tells Job, “Gird your loins like a man” (Job 38:3). These examples are addressed to men. But when the Book of Proverbs describes the ideal wife, it says, “She girds her loins with strength, and makes her arms strong” (Pro. 31:17). And even Jesus says to his disciples, who were both men and women, “Gird your loins and light your lamps” (Lk. 12:35). What exactly does this mean?
First, we must ask what the word “loins” means. The loins are the lower back and waist area, the symbol of a person’s strength and power. But the word loins were sometimes equated with “the seat of procreation.” When the Bible talks about “the fruit of his loins,” it is referring to the man’s descendants.
Another historic fact is this: in ancient times men did NOT wear pants. They wore robes, long tunics, and even short skirts. (Digression: as a little girl, when I saw my first picture of Roman soldier, I asked, “Why is he wearing an ice-skating skirt?”) I eventually learned Roman soldiers wore short “skirts” to be ready for battle at all times and to have greater agility when engaged in battle. (Digression #2: The oldest known use of pants occurred in China about 1300 B.C. when nomadic horsemen donned them for greater comfort while astride a horse and for greater dexterity in battle. Trousers didn’t become common in Europe until the 17th Century. Their warmth, praticality, and comfort eventually made them appealing even to women. But women wearing trousers was usually “taboo” until the 20th Century. In the 1950’s my mother wore a “house dress” even when working outside on the farm. But eventually she began to wear slacks and even jeans (how scandalous!)
How did a man gird his loins? The drawings below and the simple commentary explain exactly how. (I am grateful to the website, “The Art of Manliness” for giving me permission to use this on my blog. You might want to check out their website. Its stated purpose is “to help men become better men” in all aspects of their lives such as character, career, relationships, fitness, and others. They post some very worthwhile things!)
Now, what does this have to do with us–both Christian men and women–living in the 21st Century?
The phrase “gird your loins” means get ready … for work… for battle.
We must get ready each day to live our Christian discipleship. How do we do this? First, through our prayer, that is, our daily conversing with our Beloved God. I know some people who, as they get out of bed each morning, make the sign of the cross. Some even add, “Here I am, Lord, I come to do your will.” This is like saying, “Here I am, Lord, reporting for duty.” We also prepare ourselves by pondering scripture on a regular basis as well as reflecting on the people and circumstances in our personal life and in the larger world around us. (I imagine most of you who read this blog, read it because you are looking for strength and encouragement to live your discipleship with Jesus.)
We get ready to work. Our Christian faith involves work. God might not say to us, “Gird your loins.” But maybe God might be saying, “Roll up your sleeves, I have a job for you.” And that job can take many forms. This Lent we might ponder what “job(s) or work(s)” God is calling us to do. Maybe it means focusing more attention on our spouse, our children or grandchildren, an elderly parent, a lonely neighbor, our friends. Maybe it means renewing ourselves as a generous care-giver, or helping at our parish or in our neighborhood. Maybe it means getting involved in a current social issue that stirs our heart. Or it may mean to be more patient, kind, courageous, honest, hopeful. And sometimes the “work” God is calling us to do is to “come aside and rest awhile,” that is, to take some time off, relax, and have some fun.
We gather our strength and our power. Strength and power come in many forms. At times it means athleticism, that is, being able ro run fast or to engage in arm-wrestling contests as the first photo shows. But strength and power can also mean: being patient… being sensitive… listening attentively to others… giving someone a second chance. Paradoxically, being strong can also mean being tender.
Let us pray: Loving God, living our life of faith is not easy. It makes daily demands on us. Please make us more sensitive to your calls in our life. Help us to gird our loins, to roll up our sleeves in order to serve you and other people with greater readiness, strength, and joy. Amen.
For reflection:
Did any part of today’s reflection stand out for you today?
Do you begin your day with any short prayer or ritual to God?
Have you ever had the experience of God calling you to do a particular work or task? How did you hear the call? What was the work or task God was calling you to do?
What are some ways you gather your strength to live your Christian discipleship each day?
PS: Last week I gave a zoom presentation to our Sisters at our Motherhouse in Rome. What a privilege that was! There were about 20 Sisters from all over the world in the room, many of them younger members of our international congregation. I mentioned it was still cold in northeast Ohio with snow still covering the ground. But they told me it was 57 degrees in Rome and the daffodils were out. Afterwards, Sister Lori Inez from Brazil sent me some pictures of the motherhouse flowers. I wanted to share this single Roman daffodil with all of you! Remember: the beginning of Lent is a sure sign that Easter is on its way!
Our song today is “God Gives Me Strength” produced by Music Magic Hymn. This gentle song is composed of inspiring Biblical verses which I found consoling. When God invites us to a specific work or action, God supplies the strength.
I look forward to reading your comments below!
52 Responses
Good morning, Melannie…
Good morning, all…
As we all know, your blog is many things, and one of the many is informative! I’ve always kinda, sorta known, what the expression “gird your loins” meant, but now I have a fuller understanding of the phrase. Speaking of which, I must gird my loins today, for as I write these words, Massachusetts is in the throes of a nor’easter! A big old blizzard expected to drop two feet of snow. Please pray that we don’t lose power! Either way, my shovel is ready!
John, How nice that you could practice this “Biblical directive” today! Most of the snow missed us here today. I will pray that your power remains constant (electrical as well as spiritual!) Melannie
Thank you, especially your message, prayer and song and sunflower is my image weed that is flowering. My husband just called and said he was fired. I believe my prayer is answered in time to be thrown into the fire 🔥 to begin anew, to return with open heart now fully 💔 broken open to allow in a piercing illumination of love, courageous love to step out in “5th season” of life, wiser and more receptive and giving, to love. A love that recognizes in solidarity, life inclusive of messiness of joy and pain side by side. We are embraced by a love unimaginable able to hold all -bear witness to all in this “One precious life” creation we’ve been graced, gifted blessed. Today is my birthday! 71. In 1955 feb 23rd I was born, Wednesday’s child, and told in story a birth “full of woe” as I was not just Wendsday I was “Ash Wednesday” that year a child born full of promise as dust to dust ashes marked my birthday not with woe alone but with joy promised! The rest of story revealed in living it out to now this day. Thank you in gifting me this special day as I remember my deceased mother and father and all that went before me and here from my/our five adult children and all that go into future. Solidarity demands on bended need rejoicing always!
Good morning! Each morning I say a prayer before I get out of bed. Then I read the scriptures for Mass. This gives me a foundation to welcome whatever the day holds. Thanks for sharing the daffodils picture! March will soon be here!
Cathy, how wonderful that your daily communion with God begins even before you crawl out of bed in the morning! Melannie
Yes, every morning I get out of bed and I get on one knee. I say, “let me use today for your honor and your glory.” I wanted to thank you for last week‘s blog post. I went to the other blog and there was a mention of the book “Heart to Heart with Mary” my Sister Mary Kathleen Glavich. I purchased it and I really like it. Thank you so much! Love your blog Sister!
Mary, What a lovely little prayer to begin each day with. And yes, Sister Kathleen’s book is a fine one! Thanks so much for sharing! Melannie
Good morning Sr Melannie and all,
Thanks for an informative and inspirational reflection today. I do have a short little prayer taped to my bathroom mirror that basically asks Jesus to help me through the day. I also have my morning prayer time with my coffee before the rest of the house wakes up.
John Hopkins, I will be praying for all of you. When I was younger my aunt and Uncle lived near Boston and I recall stories of heavy snows. I remember seeing pictures of the snow blocking their front door one year, this must have been early 70’s? I think they had about five feet of snow piled up!
Kathy, What a great idea to have that little prayer taped to your bathroom mirror. And to carve out quiet time before the rest of the house is up. Individuals who are not “morning people,” might have to choose another time in the day–like lunch time or evening… Thanks, Kathy! Melannie
Your blog both inspires and informs. I look forward to it each Monday as I start my week. The beginning of my day always starts with this phrase:
“Dear Lord, Help me make a difference today.”
Polly, You demonstrate that often “short is better” when it comes to prayer. Thank you for this reminder. Melannie
Thank you, Sr. Melannie, for bringing light to our Monday mornings!
I begin each day with this quote from the Dalai Lama:
Every day, think as you wake up,
Today I am fortunate to be alive,
I have a precious human life,
I am not going to waste it.
Ellen, Thank you for sharing this simple yet profound little prayer! Melannie
I have a comical story to share regarding this scriptural passage. When I was young, our family attended mass together and a young teen-age girl was that day’s reader. When she got to the line “Gird your loins”, she she loudly proclaimed ” Guard your lions!” My dad (your Uncle Hank) was so amused that he retold the story many times over the years.
Carol, my dear cousin, Thank you for this delightful little story. I can see why your dear Dad liked it so much! Hope you and your family are well! Love, cousin Melannie
Good Morning Sister Melannie,
Thank you for your weekly inspiration, it is needed and appreciated to no end.
My prayer at rising is “This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice, rejoice and be glad”.
Prayers for you John and all of the east coast. I can certainly relate as I am from from North Dakota…Uffda.
Dear Jean, This line from the pslams is a beautiful one–meant to be prayed not merely on “special days.” Because every day is special, in a way… Living in North Dakota, you are well-acquainted with wind and snow! Thanks for your prayers. Melannie
I’m in NY, and the snow is still falling from noon yesterday! Grateful for two neighbors who “gird their loins” and shovel for me!
Thank you for the song. It is much needed because of many physical and emotional problems in my family. They all need God’s strength, and so do I as I try to be supportive.
Mary, Glad you have two good neighbors who help you with the snow… and I’m happy the song gave you comfort and strength today. Melannie
Dear Sister Melannie,
I frequently wake up with a song in my head, often it is a recent responsorial song or other song we have sung at mass. One example, similar to Jean’s:
“This day was made by the Lord, let us rejoice, let us be glad. This day was made by the Lord, let us rejoice in salvation.”
I really enjoyed your music choice today. You are a treasure!
Patty, It’s wonderful how a line from a “holy” song can linger within us for a while. I treasure you for reading my blog–and for commenting! Melannie
Good morning all on this blustery day. Thanking God the snow passed briefly here and praying for all in the north east facing feet of snow . I look forward to quiet time each morning in prayer & meditation to start my day. If circumstances don’t allow for that first thing in the morning I feel like I missed something.
Loretta, How beautiful that you take the time each day to begin with prayer and meditation. This is surely a grace from God! Melannie
What a wonderful way to start the week. Thank you. In Minnesota we look forward to daffodils and I’m pretty sure they didn’t appear recently with those negative “feels like” temps. So many things in you message today struck me. I have a short consecration to Mary prayer I say when I wake up in the night so I can start my day even before I “start” my day. It’s been so good for me to have that.
My grandmother (born in 1898) wore her first pants in the 1970s. We all nearly fainted when we saw her the first time. I’m glad I was born when I was so, except for my Catholic school days and Catholic college days we could wear slacks. I kind of feel like it’s gotten “out of hand” with some of the things they call “pants” now, but nonetheless, being a woman in this age is easier in some ways (no ruffles to iron or corsets to tighten). Have a blessed First Week of Lent.
Patt, It’s wonderful to find a prayer that really touches our heart… I never saw my grandmothers in pants… I agree that I would not have appreciated those corsets! Thanks for your additions! Melannie
Haha! That’s funny. I always thought it just meant “Suck it up”!
Linda, And now you know! I love researching things like this… Melannie
Thank you for the timely message of today.
My husband Frank died a year ago today at age 93 after 64 yrears of our Christian marriage, 4 children and 11 grandchildren
I am grateful for the above blessings and the hymn expresses the past year of widowhood. I needn’t have feared this journey as, He provided for me each day
through my family and residents at Casa San Carlos where we lived just 3 months before he died.
Blessings to all!
Marilyn
Marilyn, My sympathy to you as you remember the first anniversary of your husband’s death. And to realize you lived 64 years of marriage together. Blessings on you and your family and the residents at Casa San Carlos… Melannie
We have 1 foot of snow this morning in Philadelphia. No daffodils yet!
Sister,
I love this blog and look forward to it every week.
I just wanted to tell you you are appreciated and it helps me so much!!
I’m sure you have to GIRD your loins to get these together.
Thank You so much!
Therese, We don’t have that much, but it’s still coming down here… Thank you for your positve response to my little blog. Yes, sometimes I do have to gird my loins to produce a reflection… Melannie
I try to always say, “Thank you, Lord for allowing me to get up this day” upon getting my feet on the floor…then, after taking care of Mother Nature, etc. I get my coffee set up to make my one cup to accompany my prayer time. It takes about 5 minutes and during that time I walk around and through my apartment singing, “This is the day that you have made, let me rejoice and be glad in it” over and over as I get my steps started for the day. It gives me a chance to be present to those words and what it means for me today….putting me in a good frame of mind for my prayer time.
As an aside, I had a revelation the other day thinking about snow and how much we had gotten a week or so ago in Michigan…..I was sharing with someone how there is a spark of the Divine in ever blade of grass and every single snowflake, which led me to say….just watch out the window to see how that divinity is piling up…..that image stopped me in my tracks really, if you can picture snow as that, what a change in attitude….even imagining that divinity blowing in like a cyclone….WOW!
May we see our God in ALL things
Mary
Mary, Thank you for sharing your morning rituals with us. What an upbeat way to start a day! And your image of a “spark of the divine in every snowflake” is lovely too. Thank you for your frequent comments! Melannie
Loved ‘guard your lions’. It was my laugh for this snowy day. Years ago I had a little quote on my bathroom mirror that read:
‘Remember, you are the person responsible for your happiness today!’
Throughout the day it has helped my perspective on things. It’s like ‘guard your lions’ – think before you speak, etc. perhaps once misread was really prophetic!
Maryanne, I used to have that quote on my mirror years ago… I still strongly believe in it! If we’re not happy, we must ask ourselves, “What am I going to do about it?” It usually means making a change in how we’re living–or making a change in how we’re viewing our life, that is, changing our attitude! Thanks for the reminder! Melannie
I make my coffee, light a candle, say the morning offering, st Charles de Foucault prayer of abandonment and an act of spiritual communion. Then I read the day’s scripture along with a commentary. Just heard a commentary that spiritual reading is a way to get more fired up about God-to get more intimacy with Him. I think that should be my Lenten endeavor- not just to check the box…but to put myself into the Gospel. Pray for me. I loved the explanation about “gird your loins”. I don’t think I will read those words again without thinking about your commentary. Thank you so much!😊
Beverly, You have a beautiful little ritual to start your day. Thanks for sharing it with us! I especially appreciated your phrase: “to put myself into the Gospel.” I’ve found that practice life-giving. It makes the story more real if I imagine where I am in the story–maybe as one of the main characters or someone in the crowd or even a non-believer taking in everything. Thanks for writing! Melannie
Like everyone on your blog, I too look forward to your words of wisdom each week. Thank you. RE morning prayer: before getting out of bed, I say the Morning Offering of my childhood “O my God, I offer you all my prayers, works, joys and sufferings of this day, in union with the holy sacrifice of the Mass being offered throughout the world, …”. Since adulthood, I add “May I be a source of light and not darkness to all whom I meet today.”
If you ever give a retreat in Canada, please let us know. I would do my darndest to be there.
Beverly, I was touched by your description of how you begin your day. Yes, some of those prayers even from our childhood can still speak to us as adults… and asking to “be a source of light” for everyone you meet is also a good request to make of God… Years ago I did something for Canadian TV–the Catholic TV station. I had a live audience, but the two talks I gave were also recorded. The other speaker was the renowned writer Fr. Donald Senior. Soon I’ll be posting a couple of my retreats that are open to the public. Some of them might be on Zoom… Thank you for your interest, Beverly. Melannie
Thank you once again for your very informative blog. I grew up on a farm and pretty well knew what gird your loins meant, but the picture description is great. I am an early riser and that is when I have my coffee and my quiet time with God. I am doing the Bible in a year with Father Mike, what a marvelous Bible plan this is. I retired in 2007 and have done the Bible in a year plan about 7 or 8 times but this with Father Mike is far and above all the rest.
God Bless you Sister and again thanks for your blog.
Shirley, I too thought the picture description was wonderful. I’m an early riser too… Who is Father Mike? Is he a local priest? Or is it a book or CD’s? Just curious. If we are attempting to read the entire Bible, it is good that we have a good guide. Fr. Mike sounds like a good one. Thanks for writing! Melannie
Father Mike Schmidt, he has a podcast, you can find him on YouTube. I hope I have spelled his last name correctly.
Have a great day.
I start each morning with a prayer asking God to help me to reach out to others with joy and kindness, to be aware of His Presence within me and around me, and to open my mind and heart and soul to receive His word, His love and His Grace. I never gave any thought to the phrase “Gird your loins”,
but it now holds special meaning for me. Thank you, Sister Melannie, for expanding our minds with new and meaningful insights.
Beverly, You inpsire me with your morning prayers… Isn’t it wonderful to know that so many people begin their day “contacting” God first? This initial contact makes it easier to have a sense of God’s presence throughout our day. I’m glad you liked the explanation of “gird your loins.” I enjoyed doing the “research.” Melannie
Sr. Melannie , this was a very cute and challenging blog today. Thank you!
Stephen, I don’t usually put “cute and challenging” together… but I guess it works here, in a way. Thank you for reading my blog–and commenting too! Melannie
I love the history of “gird your loins” and the attached tutorial.
Your prayer at the end of the explanation will be something I begin praying in the morning with my morning prayers.
The last thing I pray every night and the first thing I pray before opening my eyes and getting out of bed is “Lord, thank You for the blessings of this day and thank You for the happy, blessed, and beautiful life You have given me.”
Even with all of the problems and pain in life, because I cling to Jesus, I can make it through every day – sometimes crying out His name. When life is rolling at me and I feel like I’m going to go under, He sends me butterflies and/or rainbows to settle my soul. I always feel immediate calming and comfort with the sight of either one. (If it’s a double rainbow, I laugh – even if I’m in tears – and tell Jesus He doesn’t have to yell at me. Sometimes I need the “yelling” to help me break out of the pain. I take a deep breath and thank Him (and I always find myself smiling) as I do so.
Thank you, Sister Melannie, for your wonderful blog(s). I am always gifted with a blessing from them.
Celeste, Your little prayer is so fitting for both in the morning and at night! Thank you for sharing it. And I smiled when you said a double rainbow was as if Jesus was “yelling” at you–to get your attention… And thank you, Celeste, for all your wonderful comments over the years! Melannie
This is the beginning of a new day.
God has given me this day to use as I will.
I can waste it, or use it for good.
What I do today is important.
When tomorrow comes, this day will be gone forever,
leaving in its place something
I have traded for it.
I want it to be gain, not loss;
Good, not evil;
Success, not failure;
In order that I shall not regret
The price I paid for it.
Joyce, What an exquisite little prayer! It has much depth and wisdom! Did you yourself compose this? Or perhaps you found it somewhere. Either way, thank you for sharing it with us today! Melannie
Good morning, I have always wondered what that saying meant.
Thank you for the explanation.
When I remember I start the day thanking God for the day.
Thank you for this blog.
Dear Sr. Melannie,
Perfect timing for your message; “Gird your Loins” as so many people were effected by the cold winter weather to start off the week. Thank you for the visual description of men tying up their robe to prepare for battle/work. Most of us are blessed to have a choice of clothes to prepare us for our physical work each day. As for our spiritual preparation, each evening before bed, I say the old prayer we said at youth…..”Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray to God, my soul you’ll keep……” So when I wake up each morning before I get out of bed, I say to God, “Thank you for my soul back and please let me make good use of it for You this day.” Your lessons are a gift, thank you.