In God's Time

Our fast, full pace of life brings on impatience and frustration if things don't happen "on schedule" or according to "our plan." Even in prayer, if we do not get the response we want right away, we tend to go into a spiritual pout. For Marcellin, simplicity reigned: "either God willed something or he did not. If he did, then in time it would come to be, maybe not in Marcellin's time, but in God's time." (Champagnat Year Booklet). He took to heart the words of Deuteronomy, "Understand, then, that the Lord your God, is God indeed, the faithful God who keeps his merciful covenant down to the thousandth generation toward those who love him and keep his commandments..." (Dt 7:9) We need to slow down and simplify, to let God work in God's time. How can we eliminate the clutter in our lives that stands in the way of abandoning ourselves to God's way and God's time? Can we take a moment to breathe between tasks...even better, can we work on limiting the number of tasks, meetings, calls, etc. that overstuff our day? It's very hard to do, especially when we have a long history of biting off too much, or feel that so many people depend on us, or worse, of thinking that we can do everthing. We have thus eliminated God, God's time, and put ourselves and our time in its place. The time between the Ascension and Pentecost should find us in the upper room with Mary and the Apostles, awaiting the promise of the Spirit. It was a nine day novena, a time of quiet prayer an waiting...a perfect model for us. May the Holy Spirit lead us to such a place of quiet, physically, or interiorly so that we might acknowledge once again who we are, who God is , and allow him to work in his time.
Bro. Rene