I'm Almost Finished

Let me just admit it. I don’t like things that are unfinished. It seems that 90% of my daily activities involve trying to complete something – laundry, a transcription, a manual, finances, running errands, etc. Then there are the activities that span, not just hours or days, but years – college, child raising, marriage, paying off a 30 year mortgage, etc. Sure, we have milestones. We breathe a sigh of relief and then…move on to the next project. Since so much of our time is spent in activities, we begin to believe that our identity is linked with them. Acquaintances look forward to and plan for their retirement – buying that lake house, sleeping in, reading the entire newspaper, playing a round of golf. A year later, they are bored and feel overwhelmed by a sense of worthlessness. So where is true fulfillment?

"Life always ends before it's finished" (Walter Ong SJ). Here is the bigger picture. Our life does not consist of just the few short years here on this earth. We were made for eternal life. The life that we will live after death is incomparable to the few generations spent here. Doesn’t it make sense to spend more time thinking about that life than this short span of time? What if we were to look at this earthly life as a preparation for the life ahead? Begin living like the citizen that you will become. Need an instruction manual? It’s all spelled out in God’s Word. Instead of frantically trying to complete everything in your lifetime, look at everything as a training ground for what lies ahead. Nothing is wasted and you are investing in the future.

I'm Almost Finished

Let me just admit it. I don’t like things that are unfinished. It seems that 90% of my daily activities involve trying to complete something – laundry, a transcription, a manual, finances, running errands, etc. Then there are the activities that span, not just hours or days, but years – college, child raising, marriage, paying off a 30 year mortgage, etc. Sure, we have milestones. We breathe a sigh of relief and then…move on to the next project. Since so much of our time is spent in activities, we begin to believe that our identity is linked with them. Acquaintances look forward to and plan for their retirement – buying that lake house, sleeping in, reading the entire newspaper, playing a round of golf. A year later, they are bored and feel overwhelmed by a sense of worthlessness. So where is true fulfillment?

"Life always ends before it's finished" (Walter Ong SJ). Here is the bigger picture. Our life does not consist of just the few short years here on this earth. We were made for eternal life. The life that we will live after death is incomparable to the few generations spent here. Doesn’t it make sense to spend more time thinking about that life than this short span of time? What if we were to look at this earthly life as a preparation for the life ahead? Begin living like the citizen that you will become. Need an instruction manual? It’s all spelled out in God’s Word. Instead of frantically trying to complete everything in your lifetime, look at everything as a training ground for what lies ahead. Nothing is wasted and you are investing in the future.

Believing is Seeing

“You can’t take it with you” is a common adage that we have heard and used over the years, and everyone understands its meaning. Nothing material can squeeze through the portal of eternity. What is not pointed out is that there is something of infinite value that you can take with you – your relationship with the God of the universe. But that relationship must be nurtured and tended and honored in this life in order for it to grow and become the greatest treasure of all. If you had the choice of taking nothing with you or taking something of unequaled value, which would you choose? Seems like a no brainer. However, many people continue to think of life as a gamble – you don’t really know what the outcome is, you can’t be sure of your final destiny, so why not enjoy this world as much as possible, in case eternity (or the lack of one) turns out to be a big disappointment. At least I haven’t wasted my time here on earath!

Why do we minimize the reality or importance of those elements in the universe which we cannot see, touch, feel or taste? We don’t deny the existence and power of the wind, ocean currents, gravity, black holes, heat, etc. Ever been in a life threatening situation and afterward sensed that some presence was protecting you from harm? What about rounding a corner in the Rocky Mountains only to see a breath taking view of a valley exquisitely framed by snow-capped mountains? Awe and wonder wash over you. What if the most powerful, the most significant, the most important forces in the universe are those that are invisible? How would you live your life differently?

“…don’t focus on, don’t become obsessed with, don’t give all your time and energy to what perishes, even if you need it for this present life.,, The Bread from Heaven, the Living Water, the divine words that will not pass away, and our relationship with God—which is the only thing we will take with us when we die—must be where our most focused and sustained attention abide, the goal of our best efforts.” – Abbot Joseph

Believing is Seeing

“You can’t take it with you” is a common adage that we have heard and used over the years, and everyone understands its meaning. Nothing material can squeeze through the portal of eternity. What is not pointed out is that there is something of infinite value that you can take with you – your relationship with the God of the universe. But that relationship must be nurtured and tended and honored in this life in order for it to grow and become the greatest treasure of all. If you had the choice of taking nothing with you or taking something of unequaled value, which would you choose? Seems like a no brainer. However, many people continue to think of life as a gamble – you don’t really know what the outcome is, you can’t be sure of your final destiny, so why not enjoy this world as much as possible, in case eternity (or the lack of one) turns out to be a big disappointment. At least I haven’t wasted my time here on earath!

Why do we minimize the reality or importance of those elements in the universe which we cannot see, touch, feel or taste? We don’t deny the existence and power of the wind, ocean currents, gravity, black holes, heat, etc. Ever been in a life threatening situation and afterward sensed that some presence was protecting you from harm? What about rounding a corner in the Rocky Mountains only to see a breath taking view of a valley exquisitely framed by snow-capped mountains? Awe and wonder wash over you. What if the most powerful, the most significant, the most important forces in the universe are those that are invisible? How would you live your life differently?

“…don’t focus on, don’t become obsessed with, don’t give all your time and energy to what perishes, even if you need it for this present life.,, The Bread from Heaven, the Living Water, the divine words that will not pass away, and our relationship with God—which is the only thing we will take with us when we die—must be where our most focused and sustained attention abide, the goal of our best efforts.” – Abbot Joseph

Putting the Pieces Together

“Agree with God and be at peace.” - Here’s the expanded version: “Agree with God and be at peace; thereby good will come to you. Receive instruction from his mouth, and lay up his words in your heart. If you return to the Almighty and humble yourself… and if the Almighty is your gold and your precious silver, then you will delight yourself in the Almighty and lift up your face to God. You will make your prayer to him and he will hear you” (Job 22:21-27).

"One can't help thinking how their lives might have been, might be different if someone was able to pay more attention, to give more time. The fact of God's love for every human being has to be made real and particular by some other specific human being. The people who drift in and out of our world with apparently no anchor are reminders of the great value there is in loving attention to another human being." — Don Talafous OSB

Here then are the two facets of the Christian life: love of God and love of man. St. Benedict of Nursia (Italy) had much to say about this. We must be at peace with God and then we will be at peace with men – reaching out to them in love and mercy and compassion. Don’t get the order mixed up.

First, realize that “God exacts of you less than your guilt deserves” (Job 11:6). He has already shown us unimaginable mercy in sending his Son, Jesus Christ. This, should cause us to seek him and fall at his feet in gratitude and willingness to serve in any way he asks.

Second, once we realize what God has done for us and his desire to restore us to the original state of his creation before the fall in the garden of Eden, we should be assured of his eternal, never-ending love for us. He only desires good for us. “Good” does not mean fulfilling our every selfish desire. As a parent, you know that that cannot be. A child must be trained and disciplined and encouraged to grow in a certain path. Lessons must be taught, wisdom passed on, and instruction in righteousness. These are all “good”. God is not our personal genie. If you truly want to experience life and peace, you must seek after him and follow his lead.

Third, having come to this point of acceptance and desire for God’s centrality in our life, we are then motivated to reach out to those who don’t know where to find “bread”, those who are hungry, thirsty, hurting, and in pain. The gift of life is not something to be hoarded and kept to ourselves to enjoy. It must be shared. It was intended to be shared. You are not the only creature on the planet whom God wants to restore to the original creation. His heart aches for all of mankind. We cannot hide this gift, this treasure, this pearl of great price. But this goes beyond merely preaching the gospel, sharing the four laws, or handing out a tract. It involves touching, hugging, clothing, feeding and listening to those who are unlovely, irritating and difficult to be around. Look at the weird group of people Jesus walked and talked with!

These instructions are so hard to put into practice. My tendency has always been to see my spiritual life as something for my personal restoration and strengthening. It is, but in the kingdom of God, it is also the source of bestowing blessing on others. A marvelous reminder of this truth is the cross itself. The vertical piece is erected first and the horizontal piece placed upon it. Our relationship with God must come first and foremost before we can hope to reach out to others in true love and compassion.

Putting the Pieces Together

“Agree with God and be at peace.” - Here’s the expanded version: “Agree with God and be at peace; thereby good will come to you. Receive instruction from his mouth, and lay up his words in your heart. If you return to the Almighty and humble yourself… and if the Almighty is your gold and your precious silver, then you will delight yourself in the Almighty and lift up your face to God. You will make your prayer to him and he will hear you” (Job 22:21-27).

"One can't help thinking how their lives might have been, might be different if someone was able to pay more attention, to give more time. The fact of God's love for every human being has to be made real and particular by some other specific human being. The people who drift in and out of our world with apparently no anchor are reminders of the great value there is in loving attention to another human being." — Don Talafous OSB

The Dignity of Time

"At times I think most of the lessons to be learned from observing life and what is around is are all summed up in this: they are invitations, reminders, alarms telling us to use the moments, the days, the years well and from our depths. Generally, these lessons tell us, rule out certain ways of using time as beneath the dignity of ourselves and of time itself."— Don Talafous OSB

This is an interesting perspective. We don’t often think about the dignity of man and time. We live life oftentimes aimlessly, thinking that it doesn’t matter one way or the other. But it does matter. We have been stamped with the image of God and that alone gives incredible worth and dignity to every person – from the President of the United States to the homeless man under the freeway. As St. Benedict advocates, look for the face of Christ in every person. How our perspective would change if we consistently implemented this. Gossip, criticism, slander, grumbling would fade away. We would seek to help and serve the other. Can you imagine?

Here’s a further thought. If we bear the image of God, why would we waste our time on frivolous things that are of no eternal value? Aren’t our lives worth more than that? God’s image gives a dignity to our lives. We should take care of our lives with that same dignity and respect. You have been handed something very precious! Ask yourself, “Is this beneath the dignity of someone who bears the image of God?” For many of our activities, would we answer in the affirmative?

In a similar manner, we live our lives as if we had all the time in the world. In reality, our days are numbered. Why wouldn’t we want to spend them in the best way possible? Remember as a kid (if you are a Baby Boomer) when you went to the fair or carnival and your parents bought tickets for you? You had 10 tickets in your hand to use however you wanted. Your parents reminded you that once those tickets were gone, there were no more. As a child, it seemed an impossible task – weighing which rides or games were worthy of those tickets! There weren’t enough tickets to do everything. Likewise in our own life. Contrary to our culture’s message – that we can experience it all – we won’t be able to. Choices must be made. Time is precious, just as gems are precious. It does not exist in limitless quantities and, once found, it must be guarded and treasured.

“Teach us to number our days carefully so that we may develop wisdom in our hearts.” Psalm 90:12

The Dignity of Time

"At times I think most of the lessons to be learned from observing life and what is around is are all summed up in this: they are invitations, reminders, alarms telling us to use the moments, the days, the years well and from our depths. Generally, these lessons tell us, rule out certain ways of using time as beneath the dignity of ourselves and of time itself."— Don Talafous OSB

This is an interesting perspective. We don’t often think about the dignity of man and time. We live life oftentimes aimlessly, thinking that it doesn’t matter one way or the other. But it does matter. We have been stamped with the image of God and that alone gives incredible worth and dignity to every person – from the President of the United States to the homeless man under the freeway. As St. Benedict advocates, look for the face of Christ in every person. How our perspective would change if we consistently implemented this. Gossip, criticism, slander, grumbling would fade away. We would seek to help and serve the other. Can you imagine?

Here’s a further thought. If we bear the image of God, why would we waste our time on frivolous things that are of no eternal value? Aren’t our lives worth more than that? God’s image gives a dignity to our lives. We should take care of our lives with that same dignity and respect. You have been handed something very precious! Ask yourself, “Is this beneath the dignity of someone who bears the image of God?” For many of our activities, would we answer in the affirmative?

In a similar manner, we live our lives as if we had all the time in the world. In reality, our days are numbered. Why wouldn’t we want to spend them in the best way possible? Remember as a kid (if you are a Baby Boomer) when you went to the fair or carnival and your parents bought tickets for you? You had 10 tickets in your hand to use however you wanted. Your parents reminded you that once those tickets were gone, there were no more. As a child, it seemed an impossible task – weighing which rides or games were worthy of those tickets! There weren’t enough tickets to do everything. Likewise in our own life. Contrary to our culture’s message – that we can experience it all – we won’t be able to. Choices must be made. Time is precious, just as gems are precious. It does not exist in limitless quantities and, once found, it must be guarded and treasured.

“Teach us to number our days carefully so that we may develop wisdom in our hearts.” Psalm 90:12

I Don't Understand

The lesson for us is not to let reason put limitations on what God can do in answer to faith and trust. Every time we pray in difficult or desperate situations we affirm that God is not limited by what our reason says is possible. Pascal said, "Reason is a poor thing if it cannot recognize its own limits." — Don Talafous OSB

Contrary to what the Enlightenment proclaimed, reason does have limitations. Not everything can be, or should be, explained and followed in a logical manner. If God and his mighty works could be explained, then he wouldn’t be God and we wouldn’t need him. Should we throw reason out all together? Nay! Reason is necessary and helpful for communication, discovery of new cures and inventions, education, and living peaceably with others. Our error is in making it the ultimate and final test for all things. Mankind leans toward extremes. If we don’t like the way things are going, then we swing to the opposite pole and claim that it solves all problems. We didn’t like what the Roman Catholic church was doing in the 16^th century, so we threw out all that was good along with the bad and came up with a completely new way of worshiping God - the Reformation. There were many attempts within the Roman Catholic church that advocated and pled for reforms and a return to holiness and reverence. Wouldn’t this have been a much better way to go about reform? I understand that there are times in history where dialogue and reasoning are no longer effective. This may have been the situation back when the German monk, Martin Luther, nailed his 95 theses to the Wittenberg Door in 1517. But 500 years later, it may be time to go back and evaluate where the Reformation has brought us. In our quest to understand and explain scripture and the Christian walk, have we missed the untold benefits and blessings of those things that can never be explained? What have we done with the mysteries of God?

I Don't Understand

The lesson for us is not to let reason put limitations on what God can do in answer to faith and trust. Every time we pray in difficult or desperate situations we affirm that God is not limited by what our reason says is possible. Pascal said, "Reason is a poor thing if it cannot recognize its own limits." — Don Talafous OSB

Contrary to what the Enlightenment proclaimed, reason does have limitations. Not everything can be, or should be, explained and followed in a logical manner. If God and his mighty works could be explained, then he wouldn’t be God and we wouldn’t need him. Should we throw reason out all together? Nay! Reason is necessary and helpful for communication, discovery of new cures and inventions, education, and living peaceably with others. Our error is in making it the ultimate and final test for all things. Mankind leans toward extremes. If we don’t like the way things are going, then we swing to the opposite pole and claim that it solves all problems. We didn’t like what the Roman Catholic church was doing in the 16^th century, so we threw out all that was good along with the bad and came up with a completely new way of worshiping God - the Reformation. There were many attempts within the Roman Catholic church that advocated and pled for reforms and a return to holiness and reverence. Wouldn’t this have been a much better way to go about reform? I understand that there are times in history where dialogue and reasoning are no longer effective. This may have been the situation back when the German monk, Martin Luther, nailed his 95 theses to the Wittenberg Door in 1517. But 500 years later, it may be time to go back and evaluate where the Reformation has brought us. In our quest to understand and explain scripture and the Christian walk, have we missed the untold benefits and blessings of those things that can never be explained? What have we done with the mysteries of God?

Running into the Sanctuary

The manner in which we live our daily lives affects our spiritual lives. This doesn’t sound like a profound discovery, but its reality struck me hard this morning. Our lives are so busy. We pride ourselves in multi-tasking and sandwiching in as many activities or errands we can in a given time period. Do I have 5 places to go this morning? Let’s see…if I take 190 to 15^th street then cut over to Plano Parkway and take it to Coit, then I can come back via Whole Foods Market on Belt Line and then home, with a stop at the post office. Oh, but wait, I could shorten my time a few minutes by going in reverse and always make right turns instead of left. We’re so used to quickly stopping somewhere, getting our purchases and hopping into the car for the next errand. If we have to stand in a line for more than 60 seconds, we become irritated. If we see the line is long when we drive up, sometimes we’ll even forgo that task for the day.

This stop-and-go lifestyle can easily carry over into our spiritual life. This morning, I sat down to spend time in the Word and prepare my heart for the day ahead. I opened my book on the Divine Hours and began to quickly (and without much comprehension going on) go through the readings for this morning. An image popped into my mind of me, running into a lofty cathedral full of worshipers, candles lit, a service going on. Others turned and looked at me as I made a commotion and tried to find a seat. I was completely oblivious to all around me and what was already taking place. Is this the way to enter into the presence of the Holy of Holies? I looked back to the beginning of the Divine Hours liturgy for the day. The reading is intentionally organized into sections, reflective of a person coming to a sanctuary or temple to offer worship: The Call to Prayer, The Request for Presence, The Greeting, The Refrain, The Reading, and so on. As Americans – those whose founders overthrew England’s monarchy – we have a difficult time with protocol and formalities, which often appear insincere or unnecessary. True, such loftiness can degenerate into arrogance and exclusivity. But there was a purpose behind such seeming artificiality. These rituals or conventions help to prepare our hearts and spirits for what lies ahead. How we view our heavenly Father – holy, infinite, powerful, majestic – should be reflected in how we approach him. Yes, there are times when we are in pain or danger and we run into the sanctuary crying out our Father’s name. He welcomes our cries to Him. The rest of the time, we should be mindful of who He is and who we are and approach the Trinity with awe and wonder and an awareness of our unworthiness. With this attitude, our spirit will be more willing to listen and receive instruction. This part of our life must be guarded from the press of the world’s demands. It’s not an option – it’s our lifeline.

Running into the Sanctuary

The manner in which we live our daily lives affects our spiritual lives. This doesn’t sound like a profound discovery, but its reality struck me hard this morning. Our lives are so busy. We pride ourselves in multi-tasking and sandwiching in as many activities or errands we can in a given time period. Do I have 5 places to go this morning? Let’s see…if I take 190 to 15^th street then cut over to Plano Parkway and take it to Coit, then I can come back via Whole Foods Market on Belt Line and then home, with a stop at the post office. Oh, but wait, I could shorten my time a few minutes by going in reverse and always make right turns instead of left. We’re so used to quickly stopping somewhere, getting our purchases and hopping into the car for the next errand. If we have to stand in a line for more than 60 seconds, we become irritated. If we see the line is long when we drive up, sometimes we’ll even forgo that task for the day.

This stop-and-go lifestyle can easily carry over into our spiritual life. This morning, I sat down to spend time in the Word and prepare my heart for the day ahead. I opened my book on the Divine Hours and began to quickly (and without much comprehension going on) go through the readings for this morning. An image popped into my mind of me, running into a lofty cathedral full of worshipers, candles lit, a service going on. Others turned and looked at me as I made a commotion and tried to find a seat. I was completely oblivious to all around me and what was already taking place. Is this the way to enter into the presence of the Holy of Holies? I looked back to the beginning of the Divine Hours liturgy for the day. The reading is intentionally organized into sections, reflective of a person coming to a sanctuary or temple to offer worship: The Call to Prayer, The Request for Presence, The Greeting, The Refrain, The Reading, and so on. As Americans – those whose founders overthrew England’s monarchy – we have a difficult time with protocol and formalities, which often appear insincere or unnecessary. True, such loftiness can degenerate into arrogance and exclusivity. But there was a purpose behind such seeming artificiality. These rituals or conventions help to prepare our hearts and spirits for what lies ahead. How we view our heavenly Father – holy, infinite, powerful, majestic – should be reflected in how we approach him. Yes, there are times when we are in pain or danger and we run into the sanctuary crying out our Father’s name. He welcomes our cries to Him. The rest of the time, we should be mindful of who He is and who we are and approach the Trinity with awe and wonder and an awareness of our unworthiness. With this attitude, our spirit will be more willing to listen and receive instruction. This part of our life must be guarded from the press of the world’s demands. It’s not an option – it’s our lifeline.