Hi Angel,
Thanks for sharing this, it is a great reminder to us all!  Hope you are 
doing well!
Virgie and Hoshi
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Angel" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Saturday, September 09, 2006 3:08 AM
Subject: Fw: [romancatholicchat] On Being Too Busy



----- Original Message ----- 
From: Katherine Schulz
To: roman catholic chat
Sent: Friday, September 08, 2006 4:29 PM
Subject: [romancatholicchat] On Being Too Busy


I thought you all might enjoy this.

Katherine

September 8, 2006

TODAY'S COLUMN

The Danger of Being Too Busy
By Michelle Bauman
*

Two weeks ago, Pope Benedict XVI spoke to a crowd of the faithful who 
gathered outside his summer residence to pray with him.  (See the CNA news 
article
for August 21, 2006).  He spoke to them about the danger of excessive 
busyness and the importance of taking time to slow down in our lives.  The 
Pope's
words are important for all Catholics.  In today's busy world, we all need 
to slow down.  The Pope quoted St. Bernard, a Doctor of the Church who lived
in the 1100s and warned that being too busy can result in spiritual 
suffering, loss of intelligence, and the loss of grace.  If we become too 
busy physically,
we can hurt ourselves spiritually.

In today's world, we are constantly busy.  Technology has given us 
nearly-instant communication and transportation.  We are always doing 
something - we
have continuous access to entertainment at our fingertips.  Our world is 
also filled with noise.  Radios, i-pods, and cd players give us constant 
access
to music, while cell phones ensure that even when we are alone, we always 
have someone to talk to.  People today spend very little time in silence, 
whether
they are waiting to catch a flight at the airport or stuck in traffic.  We 
are surrounded by a busy, noisy society that places very little value on 
peaceful
silence and reflection.  But the more we fill our lives with noise and 
activity, the fewer opportunities we give ourselves for quiet prayer and 
reflection.

When people are too busy, they tend to be irritable and get stressed out 
easily.  They are in no condition to glorify God through their lives, and 
they
are too busy to see the grace of God at work in the world around them.  That 
is why it is important for us to slow down and take some time to grow closer
to God.  Instead of thinking of God for just a few minutes when we wake up 
or fall asleep, our prayers to God should be constant throughout the day. 
Slowing
down will give us more time for reflection in our daily lives.  We will be 
able to see God in the small things that happen every day, to recognize God
in the beautiful creation that surrounds us and in the people that we 
encounter in our lives.  We will be able to spend more time throughout the 
day thinking
about God, and as a result, we will be more fully able to offer our entire 
day and everything that we do to glorify Him.

In addition, the more time we spend in silence, the better we are able to 
hear God.  God does not speak to us loudly over a megaphone; rather, He 
speaks
to us in the quiet stillness of our hearts.  Therefore, it is important that 
we know how to listen to Him and hear His voice.  In today's busy, chaotic
world, we can easily miss His voice if we do not slow down long enough to 
listen.  Only in silence and prayer can we truly hear what God is saying in 
our
hearts.  It is important to our spiritual health that we do not become 
exceedingly busy to the point that we are never able to hear God speak in 
our lives.
We need to make sure that we are able to spend an adequate amount of time in 
reflection and prayer.

I see the problem of excessive busyness as being a major problem among 
teenagers as well as adults.  Many young people are involved in school, 
sports, clubs,
and other activities.  They are often busy from the moment they wake up 
until the moment they go to sleep.  This way of life can become dangerous 
for teenagers,
as it can for anyone.  A schedule that is overly busy is not healthy 
physically or spiritually.  We need to remember to allow ourselves enough 
time to
see the goodness of God in our lives.  The Lord tells us, "Be still and know 
that I am God," (Ps. 46:11) and this is important advice for us to follow
as we strive to live as Christians.

* Michelle Bauman is an honor student in the 12th grade at Bishop Machebeuf 
High School in Denver.

__._,_.___


Your email settings: Individual Email|Traditional
Change settings via the Web (Yahoo! ID required)
Change settings via email: Switch delivery to Daily Digest | Switch to Fully 
Featured
Visit Your Group | Yahoo! Groups Terms of Use | Unsubscribe


__,_._,___