Word to the Wise
Wednesday, February 26, 2014 - Wednesday in the 7th Week in Ordinary Time
[Jas 4:13-17 and Mark 9:38-40]Come now, you who say, 'Today or tomorrow we shall go into such and such a town, spend a year there doing business, and make a profit" - you have no idea what your life will be like tomorrow. You are a puff of smoke that appears briefly and then disappears. Instead you should say, "If the Lord wills it, we shall live to do this or that."
There is an old saying, "If you want to make God laugh, tell him your plans!" The Letter of James echoes Jesus' own teaching in the Gospel of Luke 12:16-21 about the rich fool who was only interested in building bigger barns for bigger harvests. In his case the issue was more on hoarding, but the notion that he did not have to worry about tomorrow and could plan on living a long time is present. In short, how can we plan for life?
I admit to being a "planner." I schedule parish missions and retreats two years in advance, sometimes! I ought to know better. I'm 71 years old [as of yesterday] and I should pay more attention to living each day and thanking God for THAT day instead of worrying about a day two years ahead! The Letter of James points to the enthusiasm of the entrepreneurial spirit and says that none of that optimism is justified unless it is first linked to one's faith. So, I know I have to say, "If the Lord wills it, I shall live to preach that parish mission or retreat two years from now!" I bless those who do live life one day at a time! As my earthly future narrows, I need to pay more attention to the present! I suspect my experience is shared by a lot of people! AMEN