In both of the readings for mass today, Jesus and Saint Paul are in a temporary or transient place. St. Paul was in prison, but he was allowed to live alone with a soldier who was guarding him, because the Romans did not want to execute him.
Jesus knew he wouldn’t be able to stay with his disciples very much longer either, because when Peter asked Jesus about the other disciple, the Lord said, “If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you?” Jesus sure made it clear to Peter that it was none of his business, what would happen to the other disciple.
We find ourselves in temporary circumstances in our lives sometimes too. We stay in a hotel during vacation or on a business trip, while living in a college dorm, stationed overseas in the military, or maybe moving to another city or even another country. There are refugees in different parts of the world, those in jails or prisons, in hospitals, and even those who are in the seminary are all living in temporary living arrangements.
So much of our time seems to also be spent waiting for what’s next. This really needs no explanation because we have to wait on so many things in life. We wait to graduate from high school or college, go through an engagement period waiting to be married, we wait for a baby to be born, or to hear if we got the new job. Many people wait for years to retire, and scrimp and save their entire working life so they can enjoy life when they finally do retire.
A lot of times when we are waiting though, in temporary places like airports, at a bus stop or train station, or even in line at the checkout in the grocery store, we are simply passing the time until we reach our destination. We don’t usually interact with other people around us very much.
Saint Paul shows us in the first reading today, how to look at temporary situations in our lives differently though. He welcomed all who came to him. It wouldn’t hurt us to talk to the people we encounter in temporary situations in our lives either, after all, we are part of a larger world than just ourselves.
Someone might be feeling sad, depressed, lonely or discouraged and you would never know it. Your smile could change their whole day. A few moments of chatting with an older person could really brighten their day too. Opening doors for people or patiently waiting your turn, is a way of showing respect for other people too. How many times do we look the person in the eye, when they check us out in the grocery store and speak to them for a moment?
We have the opportunity to make the world around us a better place, no matter what circumstances we find ourselves in.
Temporary trips, accommodations or a lot of down time can be a good thing if you look at the time differently, like Saint Paul did. The extra time can be used to pray more than usual. Sometimes there are chapels in the hospitals to slip away to, to pray if we have a few extra minutes. If you have a free afternoon with nothing to do in a new place, it is a wonderful opportunity to find an adoration chapel for some extra time with the Lord.
It’s amazing how much more peaceful your entire stay will be, after you have taken an hour out of your vacation for an example, just to sit in the presence of Jesus. It is a pretty awesome experience visiting new Catholic churches for mass when you are away from home too.
Camping trips are good times for solitude, to pray the rosary, and for meditation or reflection, even if it is just a few moments that you slip away from everyone else. Mother Teresa was always patient, peaceful and content during the long waiting periods she spent in the airports. She didn’t look at them as an inconvenience at all, because she loved to read and seldom had time to do so.
Life is really just a journey. We are all pilgrims on earth, and earth is not our final destination. Heaven is our true home. The small moments of time we spend waiting for things here on earth can be put to good use, by making the world around us a little better place to be, by the way that we treat others.
Instead of getting impatient with the time we spend waiting, we could spend part of it by talking a little to those around us, or spend some extra time in prayer.
Many people are like Mother Teresa, and do not have much time to read good spiritual books. We could put those moments to good use like she did and maybe grow in our faith during the process.
Today could be a wonderful day, if we change how we view the temporary circumstances that we find ourselves in sometimes.
Daily Mass Readings:
Acts 28: 16-20, 30-31 / Psalm 11 / John 21: 20-25
