Lately, I've had a bit of a resurgence in my academic interest in the works of Pope Saint John Paul the Great and, in particular, his works as a philosopher. Anyone who has ever wanted to learn more about this great saint has hopefully also heard of his biography by George Weigel titled Witness to Hope. I've read it a few times, and so I decided to listen to the audio version while I'm driving or at the gym (yeah, I know I'm weird like that).
This work is beautiful in so many ways, but one of the passages that caught my attention was when the author mentioned an example of Pope St. John Paul II's daily schedule while pope in Rome. He mentioned that Pope John Paul II would pray the entire rosary every single day, not just one of the mysteries, but all of them. At first glance, we might ask the question: how, while arguably one of the busiest men of all time, did he have time not only to pray the entire rosary but to also sit in front of the Blessed Sacrament, read some philosophy, and take care of himself physically while attending to the needs of the world? Not to mention the thousands of pages he wrote while Pope.
The answer is quite simple: he scheduled his day around the things he prioritized. Every afternoon, he would take a break from meetings with world leaders, liturgies, and other very important demands to spend some time in both physical and spiritual recreation. He would walk the gardens, break out his rosary, and spend some time meditating with our Blessed Mother. Could he have filled this time with more meetings? Yes, but he intentionally chose not to.
A quote I love of his reads: "“The Rosary, reclaimed in its full meaning, goes to the very heart of Christian life; it offers a familiar yet fruitful spiritual and educational opportunity for personal contemplation, the formation of the People of God, and the new evangelization.”"
I find his example both inspirational and challenging, but what I want to impart here is hopefully more of an encouragement than a challenge to you.
We must start with the basic question: What are your top priorities right now?
Everyone reading this will be in a slightly different season of life. We have thousands of people that get this email. Some are empty nesters, others are welcoming their first baby, and a lot of people are somewhere in between. We have priests and religious. Some are diocesan, some are hermits. Yet this question still remains that we all must ask ourselves: What are your top priorities right now?
My hope is that, at least conceptually, all of our top priorities are to become saints and, with Saint Paul, say, "to live is Christ." That the very fabric of our being is oriented to giving of ourselves totally to God through our vocations. Yet we also know that John Paul II says, in Audience 15, paragraph two of his Theology of the Body, that self-donation is impossible without self-mastery.
In reflecting upon your priorities, the next step would be to examine your weekly calendar. Does it reflect your priorities? Are you scheduling in time for prayer, exercise, meals with loved ones, and intentional time with both the Lord and your family? So many people live reactionary lives instead of intentional ones, but we don't become saints by accident!
Our Blessed Mother wants to hold you by the hand and lead you closer to her Son. One of the primary ways she does this is through the Rosary, so pick yours up today. Pray a decade with your family. Pray while you're driving to work. Get on your knees first thing in the morning. Meditate on the life of our Lord while holding the hand of his Blessed Mother, and through her Immaculate Heart, she will lead you to his Sacred Heart.
Recently I got a rosary from the Catholic Woodworker with an icon of John Paul II on it, and it's honestly the best rosary I've ever had. Shameless plug here for this amazing company!
So here are some practical next steps for what I would encourage you to do if this blog was a hard but edifying read:
- Take five minutes in silent prayer and just sit with the Lord and invite the Holy Spirit to teach you to pray.
- Write down a list of your top 5 to 10 priorities in whatever season of life you're in.
- Examine your calendar next week and ask yourself if your priorities are accounted for, and if not, what is on your calendar that doesn't need to be there?
Lastly, a note to those of you who tend towards perfectionism or an all-or-nothing mentality. This exercise is not meant to shame you. It's meant to help you to refocus. Next week, if you hit everything you want, then great, but if a couple of things slip because you're just not in the habit yet, please don't throw the baby out with the bathwater. Your goal at that point is to thank God for showing you how much you desperately need him and try again the following week.
Laudem Gloriae,
Coach Chase