Teachable Moments

Dear Friends,

We find ourselves at the end of a long day. In fact, some scholars call this the great Markan Day, (Mk 1:21-39) indicating that the synopsis Mark provides may well stand as a “typical” day in the life of Jesus and the disciples, if any day alongside our Lord could be so described. It began last week with the restoration of the man possessed amidst the crowd, a display of commanding authority. Then Jesus moves toward some nourishment as a guest of Peter, but his mother-in-law is sick, so another healing precedes lunch. And then more healings and teachings well into the night. One gets the impression that word is spreading quickly. People are talking about the amazing things they have seen and heard. And there is great need, great hunger, for the power of His word and of His hands. A long and full day and Jesus may have felt a bit swamped and surely tired.

Yet Jesus rises before dawn to spend some alone time with the Father. Prayer time is often something we must sacrifice for to make it happen. Often there is not the perfect time or scenario for prayer. But the quiet of the morning and the stillness of the evening are prime candidates. And Peter crashes His party: “everyone is looking for you!” It could be a moment to react, to leap up - “yes, I am needed!” Jesus maintains composure and focus to use this moment to teach Peter, to express and divulge the proper priority.

Often, it seems today, with the pace of life, we have too much on our plate. Our to-do lists are long, and we can be constantly multi-tasking with the joy (and burden / distraction) of modern technology. It can be easy to be in the habit of throwing ourselves headlong into things, especially as busy parents.

Yet, it is precisely when we throw ourselves headlong into things, that we can lose a sense of the greater perspective and then miss those teachable moments. I recognize that I am not my best when there is too much on my to-do list! (Say a prayer in thanksgiving for the patience and generosity of our staff!)

Recalling one instance when charged with corralling my nieces and nephews to the door to go to the beach, at first the pressure did not bring out the best in me. But when I took the time and made it a game, when I set aside deadlines or expectations, then it became a moment of connection and we learned from each other. And because of the space and lack of pressure, they could see the best in me and I the best in them. 

Catherine Doherty has a phrase that speaks to any busy moment. She encourages her guests to “find God amid the pots and the pans.” By that she does not mean that He is in the soapy water, but that God is everywhere, always accessible. And when we keep the right pace and the right perspective, then we allow space for God to be present to us; then He is found, and we can discover His mysterious ways. And by so doing, by taking the time, and not pushing the pace, we can maintain what is most central to our existence, that we are beloved children of God.

So, our lesson today is that one of the best ways for teachable moments to occur in our daily lives is for us to remain composed and centered on what is most important, with an open awareness of what God seeks to do with us. That is why Jesus can tell Peter with great confidence, “Let us go on to the nearby villages that I may preach there also. For this purpose have I come.” May God help you to see and appreciate your deeper purpose.

In his peace,
Fr. Wilson