Start by Doing What is Necessary

Start by doing what’s necessary, then what’s possible, and suddenly you are doing the impossible.” St. Francis of Assisi

Christmas brings holidays, family, friends and sometimes even stress. It might be a break from a routine or even be a new routine. Recently, someone I know was recounting why days are always the same – a routine. We need to look for the signs within our routine. A job, a schedule, daily responsibilities are always routine but there is still something to learn in that routine. We do what is necessary and what we can but cannot know where that will lead us.

“Let Jesus present in the Blessed Sacrament speak to your hearts. It is He who is the true answer of life that you seek. He stays here with us: He is God with us. Seek Him without tiring, welcome Him without reserve, love Him without interruption; today, tomorrow, forever." Pope John Paul II

St. Gianna Molla lived an everyday life. She and her husband Pietro did not live something extraordinary, but ordinary and normal. She had to make a difficult choice at the end of her life, but she sacrificed much for love. St. Andre Bessette in Montreal was the porter. He envisioned the Oratory in Montreal, and he was successful. He was not someone who traveled the world and made a significant contribution. However, his funeral was attended by enormous crowds because lives were touched by him. All this was done in simplicity. St. Therese of Lisieux scrubbed floors. St. Jean Vianney was a simple priest in a small village. All these saints made their impact on the world through Christ and what He wanted for them. We do not need grandiose plans for our lives, but God might have them for us. We need to look for the signs. This is the challenge – to recognize those signs.

“Whenever you begin any good work, you should first of all make a most pressing appeal to Christ our Lord to bring it to perfection.” St. Benedict

We live our lives in particular circumstances. People, work, education, events, all happen for a reason. I was reminded lately, that God does not waste anything. But are we living honestly? Are we living an awareness. Recently, at Mass, we heard the gospel reading of the Visitation of Mary to Elizabeth. I was reminded again that this simple event, a visit, was not without difficulty. Both women were pregnant. However, in that simplicity we see the charity between these two great women. We need to be reminded constantly that we need to look for signs because it is so easy to forget. We all want something more from our lives, from others and from ourselves. There is only one road to take and that is through Christ and his Church. The rest, as the Carmelite sisters remind me often, are distractions. Yes, we need to live a routine, but there is joy even in that. We cannot give up.

“A saint is a sinner that keeps trying.” St. Josemaría Escriva