I am sitting here for the first time in several years. No excuses. Things change. Since my election as Father General of The Missionaries of St. John, I realize how much "free time" I actually had before. I realize what a blessing it is to lead the simple life of a Priest and Cabinetmaker. Much has changed over the past several years, most of it is not especially noteworthy, but considered all together the changes have been profound. Six of my children are now grown. That only leaves four children at home. Already the house seems so empty. We started building our house in 2016, and have finished it enough to live in it. We continue to plug away at our church house as well, adding more woodwork, and stained glass.
This fall, I have started helping to teach in our home school. It has been an enjoyable and pleasant change for me, however I still have a couple contracts in the shop that I need to keep working on. Consequently, I am teaching school in the morning and early afternoon, and working in the shop late afternoon into early evening. The beauty is that teaching affords me a little bit more office time than I had before, ergo here I am trying to update my blog...
There is great wisdom in the words of St. Paul, "...One thing I do, forgetting what lies behind, and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus." Phil. 3:13b-14. A glance over our shoulders at our history is not necessarily a bad thing. It's good to remember where we came from and lessons learned. But too much backward looking will lead us astray. The older I get, I have a growing number of grand memories. I didn't have these 30 years ago. All I had was in front of me. But I do not live my life trying to make grand memories. Rather, I strive to live each day well, and to do the next good thing. I want to be faithful in the little things of life without much thought to the consequences. The result? Grand memories.
But what does the future hold? God knows. That is all I need to know. I want to know Christ, really know him, in the power of his resurrection, the fellowship of his suffering, and becoming like him in his death. (Phil 3:10) the pathway that leads to Christ lies in front of me. Not in some lofty esoteric vision, but in the tasks at hand, the mundane and excruciatingly ordinary bump and grind of life. But it is the objective that transforms such ordinary tasks as building cabinets, keeping chickens, teaching children their times tables, washing dishes, celebrating Mass and the daily office etc, into the sacred. Yes indeed. "Spiritual" activities like Mass and praying the Office, Scripture reading and morning devotions, even compassionate ministries, are and remain ordinary and mundane tasks until we recognize that these are not the end or goal, but steps on a journey to know Christ. Everything changes, except our goal, and by the Grace of Christ, our destiny.
