In my last posting I wrote about taking time for quiet and quoted a section from the book, "Gifts From the Sea" by Anne Morrow Lindbergh. A few pages later, she talks about how taking time for quiet reflection is helpful preparation to attend mass. Here is what she says.
"The church is still a great centering force for men and women, more needed than ever before...But are those who attend as ready to give themselves to receive its message as they used to be? Our daily life does not prepare us for contemplation. How can a single weekly hour of church, helpful as it may be, counteract the many daily hours of distraction that surround it? If we had our contemplative hour at home we might be readier to give ourselves at church and find ourselves more completely renewed."
Have you ever been distracted by all the things you need to do while you are sitting at mass? If you do, you are not alone. I find it helpful to look at the readings for Sunday ahead of time, so that I feel a little more prepared when I go to mass. It also helps me to stay focused because I want to hear what the pastor says about the readings during his homily.
During these past two months our sisters have been coming and going to and from retreat. We have also had other people, not from our community, at our Community Living Center making retreat. We know how important it is for us to make retreat not only for our relationship with Christ, but also to strengthen us to continue serving the people to whom we minister. I know that many people do not have the opportunity to be able to make retreats yearly. However, perhaps the opportunity is there for an hour each day, or one day here and there during the year to spend some quiet, reflective time.
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