Ordinary Time

Pope Francis has said many times that at this time in history, there’s no more important job we have than to seek out the lost, remember the forgotten, and accompany the lonely. If we look, it wouldn’t be too hard for any of us to find a person in our lives that fits that description. Your challenge is to seek out that anonymous individual, to call them by name, and to be the hand of God stretched out to them in friendship.

We all have times when we are lost and distant in our faith. Think about someone (a friend, sibling, child, or parent) whom you know to be living in a way that is not of the faith. Seek them out. Invite them to a dinner or lunch. Rekindle your friendship regardless of the other person’s situation. Have no agenda other than love. Perhaps, if you yourself feel lost, both of you may be found.

Our lives aren’t meant to be a soliloquy; they’re meant to be a dialogue, with a Father who loves us. This week, take a look at your prayer; are you talking at God, or are you talking with Him?

If you struggle to find time to pray, start small: this week, strive to find just 5-10 minutes each day to be alone with God, pour your heart out to Him, and listen for His reply. Try the bathroom (seriously!) if you struggle to find a space alone. It doesn’t have to be rigid; you can open simply with, “Hey! God! It’s me. Here I am. Open my heart to your presence. This time is your time.” Then allow yourself to be quiet, listen, and be with God.

Every day this week, make a concerted effort to recognize someone and thank them - and then, thank the one who sent them (God, from whom all good things come). Watch what happens. Gratitude is contagious!

When the spirit is stirred in our hearts, the extraordinary becomes ordinary. Grandparents stepping in to raise their grandchildren; parent who stay at a job they dislike so they can feed their families; a teen giving special care and attention to another teen who is marginalized by others; those who go into harms way in order to rescue others trapped by devastating storms. Despite the destruction, violence, exhaustion, discomfort, or sickness, they step forward. All of these are extraordinary things that are considered merely ordinary by those who did them.
Go out this week and make extraordinary things ordinary in your life. When what you are doing is ordinary, do it in an extraordinary way. Take notice of someone doing an ordinary task with extraordinary care, then approach them and thank them. If you find that hard to do, then you've done something extraordinary.

If we look, we all have a person or a situation in our lives that's prodding us, pricking our conscience a bit, asking us to step out of what’s comfortable, to buck the voice of the crowd, to take a risk. That’s often the Holy Spirit in disguise, nudging us towards a fuller, more abundant life - even if it’s a little painful to get there.
Notice those situations that make you uncomfortable; pay attention to those persons you’re tempted to avoid. In those moments, rather than immediately turning away, getting lost in your distractions, or saying 'Let someone else worry about it,' pray for courage and step in. Pray for guidance and take a risk. Pray to be able to say 'Yes' to your "Lazarus", whatever or whoever that might be.

Let the steward in the parable in today’s Gospel remind us to always be ready to change our minds and reprioritize our lives, and allow others to do the same. As Christians, that means making sure God is first - and when we get that right, everything else will fall in their rightful places.