Scripture is rather reluctant to promote boasting about plans to go here and go there or to do this or do that. It suggests adding a little phrase “If God wishes, we will live and do this or that” (James 4:15). And these days we come face to face with interrupted trips, interrupted meetings and having to stay put. The change of plans has an added dose of anxiety, uncertainty of what is next or what will the next news bulletin will say.
Each night at Compline we monks sing, “Into your hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit.” Admittedly, most of the time, most of us just sing the words routinely.
Everything seems to be going well. But now is the time to stand in those words. Placing our lives into the hands of God is one certain thing we can do. We can pray and in praying, practice letting go of what we cannot control and hear what we can do. Putting ourselves in God’s hands means trusting in one greater than I.
The experience of staying at home is not usually difficult for us monks but even now we feel the limits of movement and of people not able to move in our direction. This staying put may be hard for those not used to this. But St. Benedict has some simple suggestions: make up a schedule for the day. Put in it time for prayer, do some work in the place where you are, take time to read, spiritual reading and other literature. Now is the time for doing everyday things mindfully, with a sense that even small things matter. Life is made up of many little necessary things. Work at remembering others, staying in contact and having a meaningful conversation. Going slow and looking carefully at what is around us can be a graced moment. We might discover what we never saw before. We may feel cut off but in our hearts we can know ourselves more connected than ever in our humanity and in our Body of Christ.
We here continue our daily scheduled cycle of prayer in the community. Petitions are added for those suffering from the virus and those who are worried and anxious and you, who know and support us. This cycle helps us to deepen our Lent, join Jesus’ journey to Jerusalem, and nurture our faith in a God who as the prophet says “will love us freely” no matter the circumstances.
~Fr. Joel Macul, OSB