Daily Reflection, July 21, 2024

Reflection:

Do you have a hard time saying “No” to other people? Have you ever felt overwhelmed by others in need? Have you ever wanted a few moments peace? What happened?

It has become somewhat of a tradition and fashionable to celebrate “Christmas in July” here in Australia. If you were to visit the Blue Mountains – Leura and Katoomba, this month you would realise how true this is. Shops filled with Christmas decorations, eateries packed with visitors and tourists. The temptation to be part of the hype all too hard for many to resist. The ambience no different to that of being caught up in the Christmas hype here in Sydney during December.

Last weekend our family group spent four days in Leura, and resisted the business, hype and lure of Christmas in July, opting to share meals together and be at peace in the tranquil, solitude of our surroundings and the breath-taking views of the Megalong valley.

It was an opportunity to take leave of our hectic lives and come to quite with ourselves and one another. How valuable this time was to connect and invigorate our inner selves and ore relationships with one another. An even greater value, the temptation to be

Drawn into the hype of “Leura Village a few hundred metres away.

Have you ever tried asking someone for something while they are busy?

With the ever-increasing pace of life, family and friends, business associates and community groups ask more and more of our time.

This is especially true if we have talents or treasures these groups desire. It seems the more we have to offer them, the more people want from us.

“If you want something done, ask someone who is busy.”

The time soon comes to get away, to refresh the body and soul. As with us, so too did the apostles need a quiet time and place to renew their spirits and their relationship with Jesus.

Just like his followers, we too, are invited to find a quiet place to spend time with Him.

We can pray before the Blessed Sacrament, we can create and use prayer corners in our homes, cantered around icons and the Scriptures. We can visit places of prayer like monasteries and partake in communal celebrations. We can sit in solitude and contemplate the beauty of our surrounds and marvel at the gifts of creation. Even the travel to and from places of retreat, churches and shrines can invite us to prayer, creating an atmosphere of “pilgrimage.” All times and all places invite us to prayer. But there are quiet times and places to “come and rest” in the presence of our God.

Escape and relax. Don’t those words sound inviting? There are times and places those words mean more than holidays and vacation. They mean prayer. After all, prayer is not mere work. It is an encounter with the Divine. What better partner can we have to share the opportunity to pause and to come to places of refreshment with?

What places and times invite you to spend time with the Divine?

Michael Schiano has been a member of St. Brigid’s parish since 1990. As a parish member he has served on the Parish Pastoral Council, Liturgy Committee, Bereavement Team and is a member of the Passionist Companions. He has been an educator in the Archdiocese and has held positions in middle management and executive leadership positions. He currently works in Aged Care in the roles of Pastoral Care Co-Ordinator and Chaplaincy at Brigidine House, Randwick; St. Anne’s Hunters Hill; Pastoral Care Officer at Calvary Ryde.