3 They should have known that all these things—which they took to be gods and delighted in—were much less beautiful than the one who rules them all. The creator of beauty itself created them. 4 Those who fear the power and might of created things should know how much more powerful than these things is the one who fashioned them. 5 These people could have perceived something of the one who created all things as they thought about the power and beauty of the things that were created. 6 It is for this reason that they’re not without guilt.
Yet perhaps we shouldn’t blame them too much. They may have gone astray while they were looking for God, wanting to find him. 7 They spend a lot of time exploring his works. Something about their appearance leads them to wonder, for the things that they see are indeed wonderful. 8 Even so, these persons aren’t excused. 9 After all, if they were indeed able to know so much that they could speculate about space and time, how is it that they weren’t able to discover the ruler of space and time more quickly?
Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini, Virgin (Memorial)They indeed have gone astray . . . distracted by what they see, because the things seen are fair. (Wisdom 13:6, 7)
Have you ever been steering a boat when you suddenly realize that somehow you’re off your original course? Maybe you’ve been just a degree or two off, but it’s been awhile, and now you’ve lost your bearings. Thankfully, with just a slight adjustment or two, you can get the boat pointed back in the right direction.
In the spiritual life, our “course,” our destination, is God. We want him to be at the center of our lives, with everything in our lives pointed toward him. But just like a distracted sailor, we can get off course—and even getting just a bit off course can have a big impact.
What can distract us? Ironically, some of our greatest blessings! “Fair” things such as our families, friends, hobbies, health, maybe even the beauty of creation. None of these are bad in and of themselves. On the contrary, they’re some of God’s greatest gifts to us. But when we let these gifts consume our attention to the point at which we forget the Giver, we end up off course.
So how do we get back on track? It’s simple. By making just a few slight but definitive adjustments. Maybe that means recommitting ourselves to daily prayer or daily Mass. Nothing redirects us better than taking the “helm” of our wills and fixing our attention on the Lord.
Maybe it means stopping a few times each day and turning our hearts to the Lord, acknowledging the One who gives us all that is “fair.” For example, if the sunset is particularly attractive one evening, don’t just admire its beauty. Go one step further, and look to the Lord, who made the sun. Or if a difficult conversation turns out unexpectedly well, take a moment to not only acknowledge how smoothly it went but to also praise the Lord for his grace in it. These small nudges toward God can make a big difference.
So let’s choose to stay the course by focusing our attention on God—and refocusing ourselves as the day unfolds. That way, we will surely reach our destination!
“Father, thank you for all your blessings! Help me to focus on you and see you more and more in my life.” Amen!
Psalm 19:2 (1) The heavens declare the glory of God,
the dome of the sky speaks the work of his hands.
3 (2) Every day it utters speech,
every night it reveals knowledge.
4 (3) Without speech, without a word,
without their voices being heard,
5 (4) their line goes out through all the earth
and their words to the end of the world.
In them he places a tent for the sun,
Luke 17:26 “Also, at the time of the Son of Man, it will be just as it was at the time of Noach. 27 People ate and drank, and men and women married, right up until the day Noach entered the ark; then the flood came and destroyed them all. 28 Likewise, as it was in the time of Lot — people ate and drank, bought and sold, planted and built; 29 but the day Lot left S’dom, fire and sulfur rained down from heaven and destroyed them all. 30 That is how it will be on the day the Son of Man is revealed. 31 On that day, if someone is on the roof with his belongings in his house, he must not go down to take them away. Similarly, if someone is in the field, he must not turn back — 32 remember Lot’s wife! 33 Whoever aims at preserving his own life will lose it, but whoever loses his life will stay alive. 34 I tell you, on that night there will be two people in one bed — one will be taken and the other left behind. 35 There will be two women grinding grain together — one will be taken and the other left behind.” 36 [Luke 17:36 Some manuscripts have verse 36: Two men will be in a field — one will be taken and the other left behind.”]
37 They asked him, “Where, Lord?” He answered, “Wherever there’s a dead body, that’s where the vultures gather.”
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