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Deacon Tom writes ©
“Find the Joy”
Have
you ever heard the expression, “The more
things change, the more they remain the same”. For many of us, life is extremely hard, or as Job says, “life is a drudgery”. Those repetitive demands that go into
daily family life…the laundry, cooking and cleaning, the shopping, the
commuting to work, the homework…taking care of children or parents or both, day
in and day out can become exhausting and easily wear us out. These essential activities may even
become boring! We wake up and then
rush into the demands of the day. At
night we go to sleep, or try to, only to have the alarm go off in the morning
so we can start all over again, like Bill Murray in the movie, “Groundhogs Day”. These daily activities
become so routine and ordinary they may leave us with a sense of being
“unfulfilled”.
It
doesn’t have to be this way! Sure,
we all get stuck in that proverbial "rut" at times.
We all fall victim to feeling unappreciated and sense that our lives are
unfulfilled, empty or that we will “never
see happiness again”. It is
understandable how this happens.
We are busy people. We have
responsibilities. We carry around
our “to-do” lists on our I Phones and tablets or on little pieces of paper in
our pockets. We do all those big
and little things to care of our families, provide for our loved ones, for
their immediate needs like food, clothing, shelter, and for future needs, like
college for the kids or retirement for ourselves. Busy…Busy….Busy, yet so dull and oridnary!!!
Running
constant four minute miles will begin to take its toll and get us asking
ourselves if it’s all worth it, or worse, wondering at some point along the way
if, like Job, we will ever find happiness again.
When
we find ourselves with too much to do and feel we are missing out on the simple
joys and happiness of life that should be a “red flag” alerting us that we need
to take some precious minutes for ourselves. See how Jesus revitalizes himself in today’s Gospel. With the crowds now seeking him out and
his celebrity status growing, Jesus “rising
very early before dawn…he went off to a deserted place, where he prayed”.
Jesus
responds to the demands others place upon him by withdrawing into the solitude
of prayer. Prayer is one of those activities
that will reenergize our spirits and keep us from falling into a life of
drudgery. Prayer, meditation,
spending quiet time with Jesus routinely is therapeutic. Prayer validates our reason for being… gives
us time and space to hear God’s plans for us…gives us the courage to set out in
the direction he wants us to go. Prayer
even helps us get our priorities straight, helping us let go of some those
activities we “think” are essential.
We
are in troubled times but we don’t have to be troubled people. Prayer will help us discern God’s plan
in all the events, activities, and demands that we face each day and give us a
clear vision of how we should face our daily challenges and obligations without
being overwhelmed. If we remain
faithful in our prayer life, like Jesus, we will find the joy he promised us so
that, in this life, our… joy may be complete (Jn 15:11).
Enjoy
the day!!
Deacon Tom
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