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JMJ
"If I wait for an opportune moment to do something truly great, how many times will such occasions actually present themselves? No, I will seize the occasions that present themselves every day. I must accomplish ordinary actions, in an extraordinary way."
(Venerable Francis-Xavier Nguyễn Văn Thuận)
What differentiates the Christian from the secularist? It is this: a Christian's life must be determined by his desire for holiness, his hope in heaven. One makes his actions extraordinary, not be neglecting his responsibilities, but by realizing the potential for sanctity through them. A faithful follower of Jesus Christ allows his daily activities to be transformed through the willing acceptance of God's grace, using it to elevate his day from the secular to the sacred.
And so, an invitation for gossip in conversation becomes an opportunity for silence and restraint. An unbearable wait does not correspond to a frivolous phone search, but instead allows for some time for mental prayer. An occasion of vexatious inconvenience is now seen as an occasion of charity. And the barrage of daily demands leads not to a begrudging meting out but to a patient self-giving.
"Jesus, I will not wait, I will live in the present moment, filling it to the brim with love."
