***
Back in high school English, I’m sure many of us read T.S. Eliot’s Four Quartets. His poems were a little too dense for me then, but I’ve come to appreciate them since.
In his third poem, The Dry Salvages, Eliot deals with the nature of time. Like sand slipping through our fingers, it passes quickly – too quickly.
Precisely because our time on earth is limited, he argues, we must stop and ask ourselves why.
Why am I here? Is life simply a string of coincidences? Or does God exist? And if God exists, what is his will for me?
If we become too distracted or take our time for granted, then we may find ourselves looking back, saying, in Eliot’s words, “We had the experience, but missed the meaning.”
***
Unfortunately, we’re living in a society that’s becoming increasingly secular, leaving the idea of God behind.
We’re also becoming increasingly busy, distracting ourselves with mindless tasks while the sand of time flows quickly through our fingers.
Think about how much time we spend at work (even when we’re at home), answering emails and text messages, online, in traffic, or watching Netflix zoning out trying to forget how stressed we are.
When does it ever stop? Do we ever take the time we need to rest, to pray, to ponder the meaning of it all?
Or, like Martha in today’s Gospel, have we effectively distracted ourselves to death?
***
Imagine Martha standing there with white flour dusted across her apron, beads of sweat dripping down her forehead, her hair up, giving Jesus “the look.”
“Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to do the serving? Tell her to help me.”
“Martha, Martha, you are anxious and worried about many things,” Jesus says. “Mary has chosen the better part and it will not be taken from her.”
In other words, “Martha, stop what you’re doing for a moment. Look around. It’s not every day you play host to God. Soak in my presence, listen to what I have to say first, then finish your work.”
Can’t we imagine Jesus saying something similar to us?
“Kevin, Kevin, you’re anxious and worried about many things. Before you work yourself to death, sit down, be still and listen to my voice. Then address the day.”
Like Martha, have we become so busy that we’ve forgotten to pray? Or even if we do, has our prayer life been reduced to our drive home from work?
***
I can’t tell you how many priests, parents, peers and elderly alike, have shared their struggle with me to find time to pray.
They want to, but there are simply too many other demands placed upon us leaving us saying, either:
“I’m too tired.” … Or, “I’ll do it tomorrow. God understands.”
Excuses I, too, have made.
Though Saint Paul encourages us to “pray always,” including in the car ride on the way home from work, we must be intentional about setting aside time just for the Lord without other distractions.
Because if we never stop to listen, then we’ll never know just how present the Lord really is.
***
By a show of hands, how many of you have heard me speak about ALPHA?
***
ALPHA is a program that we’ll be offering here in the fall, which is designed to help us pause and find God in the midst of our daily lives.
It’s a two-hour commitment once a week… for eleven weeks. If that seems like too much time, don’t worry – there’s no obligation.
All you’ve got to do is sign-up – and show up when you can.
And if you do, you’ll have the opportunity to ask: “Who is Jesus? Why did Jesus die? Who is the Holy Spirit? How do I pray? What is the meaning of my life?”
Heaven forbid we look back and say, “I never knew.” … Or, in the words of Eliot, “I had the experience, but missed the meaning.”
***
Let us pray.
“Lord, you know we lead busy lives, much like Martha in today’s Gospel. Help us to balance our busyness with prayer, so that we may better understand who you are and how you’re working in our lives, lest we miss the meaning of it all. Amen.”
***
For today’s Mass readings go to:
www.usccb.org/bible/readings/072119.cfm