Finding God in Life’s Holy Humdrum
“You are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation” (I Peter 1:9).
My life is holy? Ha! “My days are filled with cooking oatmeal and making turkey sandwiches, sauteing vegetables and filling the dishwasher. Every day I either do laundry or clean a bathroom…” says one person.
Daily life can seem like drudgery: taking a shower, brushing our teeth, changing diapers, driving the kids to sports events, cleaning the house, paying bills, mowing the lawn, shopping… the list is endless.
Is your life holy? Benedictine Nun Karen Rose shares the moment her humdrum actions became sacred. One of the sisters was ill. Karen checked on her and offered to bring her breakfast next morning. She was placing two slices of bread for toast in the fridge in a plastic bag and labelling it for the Nun.
As she looked at the name she’d written, this tiny act of love gave her a sudden understanding. This was not saving the world, but our tiny acts of love make up most of our lives. The humdrum can be holy! These moments together put us on a path to God.
What is really going to move the world this week is not diplomatic meetings, or United Nations negotiations, but all the millions of tiny acts of love by us and our fellow human beings. This is where we find holiness in the humdrum! We are all called to holiness, but how do we best get there?
Father Ed Broom gives us ten steps to follow. Number 1. Make time at the start of your day for morning prayer. He suggests a traditional morning offering: [Adapt to your need]
O Jesus, through the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I offer you my prayers, works, joys, and sufferings of this day for all the intentions of your Sacred Heart
in union with the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass throughout the world, for the salvation of souls, the reparation of sins, the reunion of all Christians, and in particular for the intentions of the Holy Father.
2. Incorporate prayer into your meal time – make this for every meal, not just family gatherings. 3. Open up your bible. Try doing the readings for the daily Mass of the day. 4. Go to Mass [Church Services] regularly and receive the Eucharist.
There is a lot at stake here. Jesus’ word, “Anyone who eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh, for the life of the world,” (John 6:15). Our lives must be given to the greater purpose of Christ’s redemptive work in the world.
In our families, the domestic church, we must be evangelizing, passing on the message to our children and our community. Father Broom goes on to say, 5.Show mercy to other people. “perform at least one act of mercy everyday. It can be… prayer for someone, kind words, or some kind deed.”
6. Renew your sense of mystery about the Church. [Renew our sense of awe at the sacrifice of Christ. I would suggest - Keep showing up for prayer. Love is action.]
7. Remember to be meek and gentle. 8. Look to the best role model of holiness – Christ. Study His actions and words in the pages of the Gospels. 9. Find your mission in this world. 10. Remember Mary and the Rosary.
Let me add, the path to holiness begins with action. Love is a verb. As for Sunday Morning Church? When does the Service begin? After the worship ends.
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