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 a 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 iPhones 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 ordinary!!!
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 of those activities we “think” are essential.
The Covid-19 pandemic has only multiplied the complexities of our lives raising the high water mark of our anxieties and fears, for some, that is. 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, demands and even the worries and fears that we face each day and gives 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, we may find joy… and out joy may be complete (Jn 15:11).
Enjoy the day!!
Deacon Tom
Image credit: www.123rf.comOY. Magnifying glass
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