Third Sunday in Ordinary Time_B - Time is Running Out_012124

Deacon Tom Writes,

“Time Is Running Out”

 

Third Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B

 

Paul’s message to the Corinthians rings equally true for us today, “Time is running out!” Who ever has enough time? Ronald Rolheiser in his book, “Against an Infinite Horizon” writes, “In the torment of the insufficiency of everything attainable we come to understand that here, in this life, all symphonies remain unfinished”. What a sobering thought that reminds us that we all suffer from a chronic shortage of time. The clock is always running; how important it is for us to invest our time wisely.

Paul’s letter to the Corinthians wasn’t a lesson on time management! He stresses the importance of using the time we have now wisely in light of a future event looming on the horizon that is about to break into the present. Paul is referring to the end times, the end of one era, and the beginning of a new one, when Christ will return in glory. This will be the final age when the things of this world will pass away and God’s Kingdom that Christ established will dawn upon the inhabitants of the earth. The message St. Paul wants us to understand is that in order to prepare for that day, we need to enter into a new way of living and acting; we need to align our lives with Jesus and His teaching and not in accord with the ways of the world.

We look to Jesus to teach us how to be faithful to the gospel while living in this world. According to Mark the journey begins when we answer His call, as did His first disciples. Simon and Andrew, James and John dropped everything when Jesus invited them to “Come after me.” Jesus knew that time was critical and there was much work to be done. How interesting that two thousand years later nothing has really changed! Time is still the most precious element in our lives. My appreciation of that fact has deepened when I began visiting hospice on a regular basis. To some extent, time stops there. So many emotions are at work as spouses, children, grandchildren, and friends sit at the side of the bed as their loved one passes on. I often hear the expression, “I’ve lost track of time” or “I don’t even know what day it is.” Sometimes there is a lot of sadness and regret on the part of the survivors who feel guilty for not spending more time with their loved one, for not showing enough care. As I said, time seems to stop as the inevitable unfolds.

There is still much work to be done and the clock is running as we maintain our vigil for the Kingdom of God to dawn upon us. We have time now to do a simple act of kindness for a friend or loved one or for a stranger. We can lift someone’s spirit with a phone call, a card, a simple “thank you” or a smile as you pass by. We have time to do so much good and to let the light of Christ shine in our lives so as to brighten the way for others as we wait for Christ to come again.

Enjoy the day!
Deacon Tom

Please Visit www.deaconspod.com  and listen in as Paulist Fathers Deacon Affiliates engage in a contemporary conversation exploring the treasures our Catholic faith has to offer to those thinking of coming into or leaving it.

 

OTHER RESOURCES

 

Recommended Reading:  Christian Mystics - Their lives and Legacies throughout the Ages by Ursula King Introduces sixty men and women whose great devotion and mystical relation to God transformed the times in which they lived and continues to affect our search for spirituality today.

 

Recommended Podcast: 3 Stages of the Spiritual Life according to the Catholic Saints with Ken & Janelle Yasinski who wrote extensively and contributed greatly to the spirituality of the Catholic Church? In this video will examine the thoughts of St Teresa of Avila, St John of the Cross, St Catherine of Siena, St Francis de Sales and St Bernard of Clairvaux.