I spent this past weekend on a glorious retreat with the Thomistic Institute here in DC. The theme was “hope,” and we heard four lectures from Fr. Gregory Pine (iconic) and Professor RJ Snell (brilliant) on the theology of hope, the temptations to despair and presumption, and so much more. It was the perfect blend of formation and prayer, and I got to meet delightful new friends who came in for the weekend! I’ll share the lectures once they’re posted to the podcast.
Something I’ve been thinking about a lot is something Fr. Pine said (not this weekend, but on a podcast a few months ago):
“The purpose of being self possessed is that you can make of yourself a gift. The purpose of self possession is self gift… the purpose of human life is to ‘be with.’ As far as I can tell there’s nothing further. But that’s enough. To be with God, and to be with each other. But self gift always entails some manner of death, or sacrifice.”
I think in the Western world we have a lot of conversations about what makes a life count: accolades, awards, high scores, life milestone achievements, etc. But on this retreat, Professor Snell encouraged us instead to think about living lives that are worthy to be recounted. Those things that count, that mattered so much to us at one point in our lives (like our SAT score in high school, the colleges we got into, the impressive jobs we can secure) really don’t matter much in the grand scheme of things. Instead, it’s the little moments of love that draw us nearer into the people God created us to be, to become little “Christs,” that make our lives worthy of recounting.
Jesus was frequently interrupted. He would often be on the way somewhere else when someone or something jumped in His path. But instead of blazing past it, insisting that He had somewhere to be, He paused and received the moment in front of Him.
I don’t love to be interrupted. I often have a very clear plan of what I need to do each day / week / month, as well as intricate and good plans for my life, my holidays, my weekends, my evenings. But if I’ve seen anything in my life, it’s that God also has a plan for those things — and more often than not, it’s different from mine.
And so as I strive to live a life worthy of being recounted, I’m praying for the grace to focus on “being with” — to patiently and joyfully embrace interruptions or “sidelines” to the things I’m doing, and to remember that God’s Will unfolds in each moment. Even this weekend (and today, Monday), I’ve been “interrupted” multiple times, and no matter how inconvenient it feels, I’ve asked for the grace to “be with” instead of scurrying off. Because I’ve been thinking — what if the interruption is actually the real thing? What if the assignments and projects and to-do lists and tasks are merely the framework around which (or despite which) the “real stuff” (i.e., interruptions) happens?
And what if Jesus is really asking me is to allow those interruptions, those invitations to “be with,” to teach me to release my grasp on my own plans and ideas, and to lean into the trust that He is providing and guiding and inviting me to live His life more deeply.
What if the interruption is the thing?
In Christ,
Jane
What I’m loving lately
My record player + Vance Joy
This would not be a true new part of my personality if I did not bring up my record player at least every few weeks. I saw Vance Joy in concert with the Lumineers last weekend and bought Vance Joy on vinyl and putting it on in my apartment is the absolute VIBE. The album itself is a masterpiece.
Sezane Eau de Toilette
What can I say, I miss Sezane (the DC storefront closed a few months ago)!! I bought this very light perfume and it brings me so much joy to spritz it and walk through it on my way out the door. An absolute delight!
I thought this was lovely (and related to the reflection above!)
Work is a gift
As I was leaving my Monday breakfast this morning, I said on my way out “Bye, I have to go to work!” and one of the other volunteers (who chastens me, frequently) said, “You know, work is a gift. A lot of people are looking for jobs and you’re lucky to have one.” She’s right! As I walked to the elevator this morning, the sun hit our lobby in a glorious way, and I was reminded: so many of the things I have right now are things I wanted SO badly not too long ago. Blessings upon blessings!
Prayer intentions
For a friend pregnant with TWINS!
For good health (so many are sick right now!!)
For our country. So much heaviness and sadness this week. I don’t have more to say than has been said. I pray for peace and for the Lord’s comfort to be with those who are grieving, fearful, and in sorrow
What if IT IS about the interruptions? I will definitely carry that this week ❤️🥰