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Story of getting to parish and being bombarded with lots of “you must do this.” There were also a number of things “not to do”. Always wise not to listen to the first or the loudest ones...unless it is the bishop!
In life, in a family, and of course, in a parish, there are many priorities, but only one of them can be most important; all others have to fall in line behind it. For as much as we wish to be great multitaskers and to be able to handle lots of things at once, we can only have one purpose in life and one master to serve.
Jesus teaching to us follows these same lines: of all the things demand our attention, energy, and resources, he must be the greatest priority in our lives.
He is not telling us to call our parents, siblings, and spouses and tell them that we hate them…in the name of Jesus! He is speaking in hyperbole, which is using a degree of exaggeration to make a point. Just like if I tell you I am so hungry, I could eat a horse, you understand that a little snack might be great. You do not, however, start trying to find the nearest stable or horse farm. But while the talk of hating family and one’s own life grabs our attention, the truth behind the hyperbole is no joke; Jesus has to come first, no exceptions.
We all have priorities, whether we take the time to list them or not. Each of us someone or something that takes first place in our life and drives the values we hold and the choices we make.
The challenge of our gospel today is to take the time to look at our priorities and see where Jesus ranks. Is he at the top? Or even near the top? Anything less than number one means we have work to do.
One last thing about the Lord at the center of our lives and all we do. We don’t always know how, but he will actually help us order all our other relationships and priorities. It is amazing but true. When Jesus is first, we end up having the time we need for everything that is essential. Our other relationships grow healthier and life-giving, there is a sort of order and harmony that is hard to describe but impossible to miss.
It reminds me of when I went backpacking in the Grand Canyon. This was my first backcountry experience. I came to the packing meeting with all of my gear; way too much of it! The first stage was to let the guide see everything and make decisions with me. It was a little embarrassing to lay everything in plain sight, I was insecure that that most of my gear is new and untested while others clearly had done this before. But I had to let go of my ego and accept the fact that it would be impossible to move forward without first figuring out what was needed and what had to be left behind. By the way, this took multiple steps, starting when I packed in my room at the rectory, and then when I left the hotel in Flagstaff, and then finally when I departed the packing meeting, each time leaving more behind as I realized it wasn’t all necessary. And some of this I had to do trusting the one who was leading us.
The 2nd step was to pack things in the right way and in the right order. When I tried it myself, I could only get about 80% of everything in the bag. The guide came back around and showed me the secret: tightly roll the sleeping pad in the center of the pack, with the tent shoved all around it, pegs in the corner, clothing in every possible space down low. camping supplies next, then food and remaining clothes on top. It was the same amount of gear but now it all fit because the guide knew exactly the place and order for every piece of it. And she found every bit of space that I didn’t even know existed!
The same is true of our lives. Jesus made us, he knows us better than we know ourselves. When we let him guide us and our priorities and relationships, he shows us what we need to take along and what we can leave behind. In his mercy, he does this in stages, little by little so we aren’t completely overwhelmed and discouraged. When we put him first, he makes everything fit, he makes sure we have all we need to get to heaven but also to have a meaningful life here on earth. But we have to let him see everything we are carrying, we cannot be so proud or ashamed that hold things back. We have to trust him enough to listen when he says, “you don’t need that”, “leave that behind”. There is always some sacrifice and self-denial involved but it all serves a purpose. Just like that efficient and perfectly packed bag allowed me to see the interior of the canyon, so too, a well-ordered life and relationships will allow us to see and experience life in a way that most people never do.
So how do we make this happen?
The simple answer is prayer, both the public prayer that we are doing here at Mass, along with receiving the sacraments, and participating in devotions like the rosary, the divine mercy chaplet, adoration and so many other treasures that our faith offers. Our prayer should also consist of time each day where we simply sit with God and listen, letting him lead us and speak to the areas of our heart that might be confused, trouble, or simply weary. Oftentimes, starting with a little Scripture can help quiet our minds and hearts and prepare us to hear his voice.
The second part of the answer is practice. Just like any other habit or skill, we get better at making God first by doing it over and over until it’s second nature. For most people, it won’t be something dramatic like running off and joining a monastery. It will be by doing the little things well and making sure to pray each day, come to Mass every Sunday, working honestly, being charitable in our thoughts, words, and actions, and placing Jesus first in the many choices we make each day. Over time, we will be amazed at everything God is able to fit into our life and how much joy and love we are able to share and experience.
May that be our prayer today, that our priorities are aligned with God’s and that he always have pride of place in our life, our families, and our parish!
