Word to the Wise
Wednesday, January 13, 2016 - Wednesday in the 1st Week in Ordinary Time
[1 Sam 3:1-10, 19-20 and Mark 1:29-39]WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 13, 2016 WEDNESDAY IN THE FIRST WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME [1 Samuel 3:1-10, 19-20 and Mark 1:29-39] Rising very early before dawn, he left and went off to a deserted place, where he prayed. Simon and those who were with him pursued him and on finding him said, "Everyone is looking for you." He told them, "Let us go on to the nearby villages that I pay preach there also. For this purpose have I come." One of my most important ministries is preaching retreats for priests or deacons/spouses. It is on these occasions that I hear their stories of their lives in ministry and the tension they experience between the need to pray and take care of themselves and their families and the needs of the ministry. There is a never ending litany of things that "need to be done." The very reason they enter ministerial service can turn out to be a consuming fire, which leads to what is commonly called "burn out." In some cases the root cause is "activism" which ignores the need to have a steady and profound prayer-life which is also tied to good physical hygiene. When these are neglected in favor of "ministry" the consequences can be serious. This is not just a matter of those who are in professional ministry, however. An intentional life of prayer and a common sense attitude about our consumer habits can make a fruitful Christian life possible. Jesus resists the villages desires to keep him there and he maintains his intense life of prayer. His example is the one to follow. AMEN
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