What kind of space do you give in your life for reflection? Our culture is incredibly noisy — not just because of the devices we carry, or the volume of ads that follow us wherever we go, but because of the pressure to succeed, to do something, to be someone, to have a career that goes somewhere. And because of this pressure, people are busy, exhausted, harried — like the frantic scurry after missing your exit in a strange city.
A few years ago, my Bishop invited a group of us to consider keeping a written account of where we meet with Christ in life. Maybe it’s in a conversation with a friend or stranger; maybe it’s a situation you witnessed that impressed you in some way; maybe it’s something you read that lit a bulb in your brain; maybe it was an act of service done to you, or one you offered someone else. “Whenever you are able to say, ‘That was from God,’ write it down, remember it, look back on it. Remember that God is with us, and stays with us.”
I’ve been keeping this ubi convenio Christi (“Where I meet with Christ”) book for a few years now, and the pages are beginning to fill up. It seems every few weeks or months there is something to remember.
I hope as you experience Holy Week this year that you can find moments to escape the noisy clatter of our culture, and jot a few notes down for Future-You. You never know where Future-You might be, or what Future-You might be fearing, planning, celebrating, or regretting. Leave yourself a trail of breadcrumbs that lead you back to gratitude and prayer.