A Sunday Thought For Young and Old Alike

Today's Sunday thought for young and old comes from Fr. A.E Breen (1908). Nothing Father says should come as a surprise. But it might be a wake-up call to some (all?) of us. 

As Catholic men who work for a living, there's a lesson here regarding what's important. We can certainly pursue worldly success. But should that be at the top of our list of "What's Important"? We know the answer, right?

So let's say we're on board with prioritizing God and our spiritual life. Fine. Now let's drill down to what we actually do, not just what we might say or intend to do. Are our thoughts, words, and actions filled with our work and that alone? Is the bulk of our energy - physical, mental, spiritual - expended on the desire for success that brings us worldly rewards - whether material goods, power, or praise and esteem in the eyes of others? Where is God in all of this?

It takes a bit of effort to find out the answers here, but it's not that hard to do. First, let's turn to Father Breen:

What Seek Ye?

“Every man can consider the question of Christ, ‘What seek ye?’ as addressed to himself. What art thou seeking? Wither is thy life tending? Art thou seeking to be taught by Him? To know Him more fully? To know where He is? To be with Him? To lean and withered age comes the mighty question: What hast thou sought? Thy cheeks are bloodless and wrinkled, thine eyes are sunken, thy step is faltering, thy grasp palsied, thy hair is gray; the present order of things is fading away. What hast thou sought in that life which is now passing? One of two answers must be given. One must say: ‘I sought to fill the void in my heart with goods of this world, and in disappointment I lay down to die, confessing that my life is a failure, and I must go empty handed before my Creator.’ Another is able to say: ‘I sought the kingdom of God and His righteousness. I labored to spend my life in well-doing, and now, with unfailing trust, I look forward to immortality with Christ Whom I loved and served.’ The time to decide which class we shall cast our lot is not when actual old age draws on, but in the springtime of life when the seed for the harvest must be sown.”

Pretty clear, isn't it? If we all read this carefully, thoughtfully, and we don't have our priorities straight Father's words will ideally: capture our attention; spur a commitment to change, radically if necessary.

This applies to all of us. But for those of us who aren't spring chickens ("in the springtime of life" as Father Breen puts it), let's be sure we don't despair if our focus and efforts in our spiritual life has been less than desired. 

Sure, it's better if our lives have been properly ordered early on. If yours has been, congratulations. But if you're a member of the "late starters" club, take heart. Don't despair. There's hope! (I should know.)

As long as you're still breathing and have the will to change, you can indeed re-set your priorities. But don't be surprised if it takes some doing. Just recall that long-term habits, like long-term trends, don't just turn on a dime. You'll not only have to commit, but you would do well to consider a concrete plan of exactly what needs changing, what you will do each day to set our priorities straight.

Since we're all different, based on our personality and the type of work we do, there's no standard "checklist" of items that will tell us whether we've got our priorities straight. But if you're really serious and want to set things right, you'll know what needs changing. 

My own work tends to be relatively ordered. I have a list of tasks each day. In order to set my priorities straight, there are natural pauses between tasks that allow for a moment or two of recollection, even prayer when I'm on point. At the end of the day, I can look back as part of my examination of conscience and assess whether I've kept God present by taking advantage of those interim moments.

All of us can at the very least declare our intention to do all our work for the greater glory of God before the day's work begins. Even better, we can make up our minds to do everything with fervor and exactness. (Got this from Father Willie Doyle.) Try to take a breath from time to time and see how you're doing. Perhaps you finish a task and evaluate whether it was done with fervor and exactness. Even better, state your intention to do so before you begin the task.

Those are just a few suggestions. And you don't have to "in the springtime of life" to effectively change.

So as we work our way now almost a month into 2023, young and old alike can and should make sure our priorities are in order as we diligently perform the duties of our state of life and work our way toward Heaven.

Happy Sunday!