Tuesday of Week 27 in Ordinary Time (Year II)
Saint Francis of Assisi
Galatians 1:13-24 | Psalm 138:1-3,13-15 | Luke 10:38-42
But the Lord answered: ‘Martha, Martha,’ he said ‘you worry and fret about so many things, and yet few are needed, indeed only one. It is Mary who has chosen the better part; it is not to be taken from her.’ (Luke 10:41-42)
I’m just back from a Catholic tour of the UK, visiting various shrines and churches in Ireland, Scotland and England. As is the case for all my travels, I packed a few quick-dry shirts, a few pants, some quick-dry underwear (which I wash daily in the hotel sink), socks for each day…and a spray-bottle of alcohol to deodorize the shirts and pants, so that I can wear them for up to a week without causing offence to others. All this and my standard toiletries fit in half a standard carry-on bag.
My online travel life is similarly bare, basically just uploading the content for each blog entry at night (to save time, I usually write them on the coach while moving from point to point), checking for critical server emails, and some messaging to friends and family. I ignore everything else, mostly because I generally don’t have Internet access till we check in to our hotel rooms each night.
Not only did this sparsity make for a refreshing trip, it also gave me time to ponder God’s love in His daily word, and His majesty in the cathedrals, shrines and other man-made reflections of His glory. All room and board were prearranged, so I just ate, drank and lived in the God-given moment. Oh, and I prayed a LOT more than usual.
I’m not sure how much sparsity I can adopt in my daily life, but the refreshing effects are a great motivator. Already, I decided not to re-borrow some library books I’d returned before the trip, because I probably wouldn’t read them anyway. I’ll also be looking at unsubscribing from a ton of technical email newsletters that I barely glance at any more, plus a whole bunch more housekeeping and looking into ways to tap on the expertise of other folks in my work life, so that I don’t have to know it all.
A few less things to worry about, and a little more time to ponder my relationship with God. Sweet.
Lord, You said that few things are needed in our lives. Help us let go of the unnecessary complexity and embrace the simplicity of Your Way that is Truth and Life, so that we in turn may convince others by example to turn to You in their daily lives too. Amen.