Good Heavens

The psalms are full of references to the heavens. For example, we commonly chant, “I see your handiwork in the heavens, the moon and the stars you set in place”; “The heavens praise your wonders, O God”; and “Your fidelity stands firm as the heavens.”

Before the advent of electricity, the heavens were a source of awe, imagination, and navigation. Today, we generally stay indoors at night, and only an exceptional event such as a solar eclipse or the rare chance to see a comet or the Northern lights draws us outside to gaze at the heavens.

I once read that those of us who spend hours every day looking inside the small frame of a computer screen should rest our eyes by looking outside a window at the horizon from time to time. Not only does this prevent eye strain, but it widens our perspective and reminds us that there is a world outside the screens of our electronic devices.

Gazing out at the world and the heavens is a good practice for other reasons. Seeing the vastness and immensity of God’s creation humbles us and reminds us that this self we are so attached to is tiny and fleeting. Despite our insignificance, we can rely on God’s faithfulness and enduring love and enjoy the beauty of creation in which we are immersed. And then we can join the psalmist in proclaiming, “With a heart full of thanks I proclaim your wonders, O God.”

The Way to the Heart of God

It’s my opinion that people who have too much to do need a patron saint. I nominate St. Gerard Majella, (1726-1755), a Redemptorist who was credited with bilocation — that is, the ability to be in two places at once!

I’m not so sure that bilocation is the answer to the problem of being overcommitted, however. It’s likely similar to multitasking, which gives us the illusion of getting more done but actually wastes more time than it saves and has a detrimental effect on our concentration and creativity.

Many people today believe, as writer Elizabeth Bibesco suggested, that being in a hurry is one of the tributes we pay to life. Our world is full of so many beautiful things to see, places to visit, books to read, food to eat, and people to befriend that we try to cram in as much as we can — and as a consequence, we often don’t fully experience anything.

It’s telling that St. Gerard was not a Benedictine, the only order that takes a vow of stability. What our life lacks in width, it makes up for in depth. Each moment that we fully attend to leads us to the heart of God and relieves us of the anxiety that we might be missing out on something that is happening elsewhere.

As Imogene Baker, OSB, said, “Be where you are and do what you’re doing.” When we attend to the present moment, wherever we happen to be, we encounter the presence of God. To paraphrase St. Benedict, “What could be sweeter to us than the voice of God calling to us? Behold in his loving kindness, the Lord shows us the way to life.”

Where God Wants To Be Met

Spending time with others is key to developing a good relationship. If we want to be in a relationship with God, then, it makes sense to set aside a regular time to pray. However, we can’t expect God to conform to our prayer schedule. As Joyce Rupp learned from her spiritual director, “Meet God where God wants to be met, not where you plan for it.”

What if God wants to be met not in the silence of a church but in the midst of a challenging conversation? The 15th century Indian poet Kabir suggests as much in his poem, “I Had to Seek the Physician:”

“I had to seek the Physician because
of the pain this world caused me.

I could not believe what happened
when I got there — I found my Teacher.

Before I left, he said, “Up for a little
homework, yet?” “Okay,” I replied.

“Well, then, try thanking all the people
who have caused you pain.

They helped you
come to me.”*

Prayer has many benefits, but perhaps its greatest gift is to instill in us an alertness to God’s presence at all times — especially when we least expect it.

*From Love Poems from God by Daniel Ladinsky. New York: The Penguin Group; 2002.