Be Ever Engaged

“Be ever engaged, so that whenever the devil calls, he may find you occupied.” St. Jerome

Recently, someone told me that they were bored, that life has been dry. This was a sad sentence. We need not ever be bored with our days. There is always something fresh to do. Someone else was recounting how busy they were with things and that their schedule was full. I was wondering exactly what kept them so busy. This person had no time to think about things. The best advice I received from someone was when I was told to always find quiet time to reflect. I never forgot that advice. I volunteer with one person who, although retired, is engaged with many responsibilities. Each day they have some way to help others. Since money is not a problem, they volunteer in a soup kitchen, drive cancer patients to appointments and offer their services in odd jobs here and there to those in need.

“You bored. That is because you keep your senses awake and your soul asleep.” St. Josemarie Escriva

St. Ignatius of Loyola was injured and the only books available to him were books about the saints. This allowed for his conversion to a deeper spirituality. He read the lives of the saints and the life of Christ repeatedly and he realized what he really wanted – or what God wanted. St. Bernadette was sick for much of her religious life. She was bedridden often, yet she did not waste her time complaining and wondering what to do with herself. She left a legacy for us to ponder. St. John Bosco also realized that he could not offer his tutelage just work and studies. The young people in his charge needed entertainment also. They needed wholesome entertainment. He set out to do his best for them. The saints all lived lives that might have been very different from one another, but they all bring us back to God.

"Few souls understand what God would accomplish in them if they were to abandon themselves unreservedly to Him and if they were to allow His grace to mold them accordingly.” — St. Ignatius of Loyola

I teach and sometimes it can be a routine. However, it is never boring. The reality we need to follow intensely will not be boring. We need to look at what God has placed in front of us. I visit the Carmelites often and once someone asked me what they do all day, I just smiled. Their days are completely full, and I need an appointment to visit. A dear friend recounted to me on holiday that they got sick for a short while. During that down time, they began to realize that changes needed to be made upon their return home. Our Lord really does use everything to help us understand what He wants. It is no easy task for Him since we are difficult to work with. Our Lord wins us in the end. It was through a discussion with my friends in the Carmel cloister that I learned the word ‘acedia.’ We might become bored or idle but there is greater danger in becoming dry or sloth-like with our faith. I go to mass daily and yes, it is a routine and it is difficult to leave home early on cold winter mornings, but we need to remember why we do things. Once we realize this, the boredom ceases.

“Those who love God will find pleasure in everything; those who do not love God will never find true pleasure in anything.” — St. Alphonsus Liguori