“There are two ways of waking up in the morning. One is to say, “good morning, God” and the other is to say, “good God, morning”!” (January 20)

Each time I read and ponder the above quote from Bishop Fulton Sheen is smile inside. When I awake in the morning one of my first cogent thoughts is the greeting…”good morning, God!” The reality of the day might then begin to sink in as my thoughts race towards the work and business of the day where the second phrase may come to mind. Happily for me, although I don’t always show it, I am a fairly positive and optimistic person. I seek to find my trust in the will of God working with Him and through Him in my call to the priesthood.
I am also a realist in the knowing of my own faults and failings and that of my bride the Church. To be optimistic in our care for one another doesn’t preclude the knowledge and experience of how messed up things can be. But is an optimism and joy coming from a relationship of love with a God who is merciful and seeks us to come to him.
Which brings us to….

“Love begins at home, and it is not how much we do… But how much love we put in that action.” (January 26) Bishop Sheen reminds us that we are called to love not just in words but in the actions in our life. It is in some ways the phrase we hear at times…it is not about how much time you spend with a person it is what you do during this time together.
Our modern age calls us to distraction. There is not one of us who is not affected by distraction. It may be the television, the cell phone, the tablet, or the noise surrounding us daily in our lives. Are we paying attention to the person in front of us? Are we listening with both ears? Do we choose to love by being present?
God asks us to be present. In our prayer we seek to lessen the distractions be opening our ears and eyes of our soul to hear him speak. We know in faith…God is present always and everywhere. If love begins at home, then our home is the Church and we visit in attentive joy and blessing. It isn’t the big things but the small graces we share and family…or as St. Theresa of Calcutta put the same thought in different words, “We can do no great things, only small things with great love.”

“Love cannot remain by itself – it has no meaning. Love has to be put into action, and that action is service.” (January 27)

The quote follows the one above reminding us of the call to relationship. One of the greatest joys I have learned through my ministry in Worldwide Marriage Encounter, is the call of service of husband and wife. This often goes against the cultural independence where we are called to “do what makes you happy” and finds so many of us searching for momentary pleasure rather than the abiding peace and joy that comes through the sacrificial service of our family, friends and yes, even our enemies.
St. Paul shares this bit of wisdom in his First Letter to the Corinthians where he writes, “If I speak in human and angelic tongues but do not have love, I am a resounding gong or a clashing cymbal” (13:1) Service and care for others is an active gift of self. Husband and wife choose to share who they are to the fullest extent. Yes, many times, as perfectly as we desire and yet we find the abiding peace, joy and love when we move away from the egoistic and selfish action and embrace God’s call to sacrificial love.

“Because God is full of life, I imagine each morning Almighty God says to the sun, “Do it again;” and every evening to the moon and the stars, “Do it again;” and every springtime to the daisies, “Do it again;” and every time a child is born into the world asking for a curtain call, that the heart of God might once more ring out in the heart of the babe.” (January 30)

I remember watching a friend with his child. He was lying on the ground and holding his little boy above him. It was one of those great and joyous moments where he was tossing his son into the air and catching him. The squeals of delight from the little guy filled everyone with happiness and life. His wife warned him that his son had just finished eating and to be careful….but the warning went unheeded as the exuberance of the moment took hold in him as father of this joyous bundle of love….and then it happened in the middle of a squeal of joy…a steam of food came out and onto the father who said something not so filled with joy and….
I think what Bishop Sheen is trying to remind us is that, God, like my friend, will toss the child in joy tomorrow. God will look at the messiness, the failings, the hurt of the world and will…to put a book end on this post…sing out “Good Morning, World” and great each one of us by name. Calling us into a life of hope, joy and love where our faith intersects with his gift of life.

God Bless
Fr. Mark

(All quotes from “The Wisdom of Fulton Sheen”)