Week 5 (PART 4)
Dear Parish Family,
What a winter wonderland we stepped into this week! As I was hunkering down with my faithful dog Gracie, we began to ponder the meaning of God’s gift: a genuine snow day on a Sunday, even for the pastor(!) precisely on the weekend we are reflecting on “The One Thing,” which is about taking back Sunday as a day for worship and rest. I cannot tell you the last time I had “off” on a Sunday, unless I was away on vacation, which has a completely different feel. And I mean really off, with nothing to do and no place to go. It felt so weird to me.
It was wonderful to begin with worship, gathered together for the 5pm Vigil Mass, with a full church, and to sing God’s praises for the gifts he brings! That one liturgy felt extra special to me. Now, some of you may disagree with my decision to keep our campus closed on Sunday; it was not made lightly, and we had to make that call early so we could get the word out to everyone. Please know that when challenging decisions come up, I am a man of prayer, listening to the Holy Spirit, and then I try to make the best call for our parish. I am thinking of you and trying to do what is best, for you. I prayed for you to have a safe and cozy time with loved ones, with a heap of prayer and slowing down!
We have been moseying through the book, Slowing Down to the Speed of Joy, and this weekend is our last week. Our topic is one that has fascinated many: “What is the secret of life?” When we meet someone successful, or with that special charisma and charm, we may wonder: “What is their secret?” What gives them that special joie de vivre which makes them appear to glide through life with joy and peace?
Matthew Kelly has given talks around the world to large groups of people. On one such occasion, he spoke on the secret of life and was able to narrow his focus to four words: want the right things (see p. 106). That simple advice can help us focus on what matters most, but first we can appreciate that often our discontent comes from being desirous of things that are not genuinely good for us. Our desires need to be examined and purified, not just trusted and followed. What are the right things is a question for discernment, something to be pondered in conversation and in stillness with the one true God. “Wanting things that are not good for you complicates your life…. Want the things that make you flourish” (p. 112). See Kelly’s list as a good starting point to examine our own desires.
We are beginning this book where we began. I warned you that it is not an endeavor we can enter into and just follow the recipe that will lead us to joy. This is a deeper path, a path of discernment and gratitude, a path of recognizing what is truly and deeply good for us, seeking out only those things, and being content with what is often enough (pp. 113-124). What are your takeaway pearls? One for me is that time is not a commodity to be measured and valued but a gift to be shared and given. I hope your snowy time was wonderful and refreshing.
May God bless and keep you!
Fr. Wilson
