Glory Stories

A Reflection on the Psalm for August 1st, 2021:
Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

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Psalm 78

R. The Lord gave them the bread of heaven.

Things that we have heard and known, that our ancestors have told us, we will not hide; we will tell to the coming generation the glorious deeds of the Lord, and his might, and the wonders that he has done. 

R. The Lord gave them the bread of heaven.

He commanded the skies above, and opened the doors of heaven; he rained down on them manna to eat, and gave them the bread of heaven. 

R. The Lord gave them the bread of heaven.

Man ate of the bread of Angels; he sent them food in abundance. And he brought them to his holy hill, to the mountain that his right hand had won. 

R. The Lord gave them the bread of heaven.
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Pause. Pray.

And then read more...

One of my favorite stories to tell is the story of my conversion. It is absolutely a story of the “... glorious deeds of the Lord, and His might, and the wonders that He has done.” In a nutshell, I was born into a Christian family but I walked away from my faith as a young adult. During my time at university I ended up living a life that was very worldly and not at all good for me. At the end of my first year I was in a very dark place. That Holy Thursday, I found myself drawn to go to mass. As I said, I was brought up as a Christian but not as a Catholic. Still, I found myself sitting alone in a Catholic church on the feast of the Lord’s Supper feeling small and ashamed and unworthy to be there. But I also felt the love of God pouring over me in a way I had never felt before. 

This was just the beginning of my return to God that continues to this day. Every morning I wake up and thank God for a new day and ask Him how I can serve Him and His people. This is my daily step closer to Him and eternal life; one simple step on the path that He has chosen for me. 

My job right now has me working regularly with young adults. I tell this story to them often. When I meet a student who is in a similar place to where I was at that age, I tell them this story of God’s glorious deeds and how He worked in my life. I believe that one of the reasons He allowed me to go through that dark time was so I could empathize with the students I work with and help them to have hope. 

Another story I like to tell is how it took my husband and I three years to conceive our first child. It was a very stressful time for me. Even though I claimed to trust God and His plan for my life, I still lamented every month when I realized I wasn’t pregnant. It wasn’t until we seriously surrendered our own plans to Him that we finally had peace in our hearts. We were able to put our trust in the plan that God had for our lives and believe that it was far better than any plan we had for ourselves. One month later we conceived and within the next 13 years we had 8 beautiful children. God is good!

Don’t be afraid to share your stories. I have seen countless people encouraged by the news of how God is moving in someone else's life. It gives us the hope that if He did that for one person, then He will do it for us too. It reminds us that God is working for good in our lives even when we can’t see it. 

Today, tell someone how God has blessed you. Don’t let fear and doubt stop you from telling everyone of the wonders that He has done in your life.


Let us pray… Lord Jesus, You have done so many glorious deeds in my life. Give me the opportunity and the courage to share these stories with someone else today. Amen




​Maxine Brown
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