Christian Reflection and Prayer

A poem entitled "One Thread,"-3 describes various aspects
of our lives as threads which we hold at one end in our hand...

One is the thread of mortality. Always there is the lurking fear
that the line will snap. We hold it tenderly. We must not let it
go.

Another thread represents our dreams and vision of getting
more out of life. The poet describes this thread as being
attached to a "high-flying kite" that flutters with the mighty
pull of our shifting hopes and dreams.

A third thread represents our fragile relationships with one
another. We're hardly aware of the moment when the tight
line slackens and there is nothing at all on the other end.

A fourth thread is but a "tangled mess" that won't come right:
mistakes, false starts, lost battles, angry words." (We just
can't seem to keep this line from tangling.)

Finally, there is a strange and mysterious thread. "It is my
steadying hand," the poet says. "When I am lost, I pull it
hard and find my way. When I am saddened, I tighten my
grip and gladness glides along its quivering path. This thread
becomes a channel of newness of life for it is God's hand that
is anchored on the other end."

Humble acts of dedication are what God values most,
even more than dramatic demonstrations of bravery
and heroics. Teachers, public servants, dedicated
parents – they are the true heroes, and we can be
those heroes, too. We don’t need to do anything
extraordinary – just be extraordinarily dedicated
to all we do.

Scripture:

"Your duty is to go and spread the news of the Kingdom of
God" (Luke 9:60)

In recent years, various forms of meditation have been
accepted as beneficial, therapeutic approaches for dealing
with stress, anxiety, sleep disorders and other common
problems. Most of us instinctively know when we need a
few minutes alone to decompress -- a few minutes of solitude
at the end of a hectic day -- but we rarely take the time
necessary to be alone. It seems the majority of us are still
hurried, harried and “too busy” for self-reflection. Actually, the
problem is not lack of time, because we all have 24 hours a
day. It is really a matter of priorities. The things at the top of
our list get done; the things at the bottom are neglected. So
if the need for self-reflection becomes a high priority, we won't
have to “find time” for it, we will “make time” for it and let
something else go.

We, who call ourselves Christians, should ask ourselves,
"What is our Priority Number One? -- What is the one most
important thing in our lives, above all else?" -- the correct
answer of course is to live in harmony with God's Will -- to
invest our lives in doing God's Will. And if we are not living
up to the call to live in harmony with God's Will, the problem
is surely not a lack of time. It is a matter of priorities.

The renowned poet, Rudyard Kipling, once addressed the
graduating class of Magill University in Montreal. Speaking
on the theme of priorities “he said, "If a person's scale of
values is based primarily on material wealth, that person will
be in difficulty all his or her life. Do not pay much attention to
fame, power and money. Some day you will meet a person
who cares for none of these, and then you will know how poor
you are.”"

Make your fondest wish here and now -- your life's number
one priority -- that you might spend all of your time in complete
openness to the Rule of God in your life. And, in so doing, you
will discover that your heart and soul will be filled to overflowing
with God's infinite Love for you. So much so that you will not
be able to contain it. And you will find it spilling over into your
Christian Ministry of loving service to other persons who come
into your life

(excerpts from The Staff and editors of Sunday Sermons Online)