Space Invaders

“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. (Matthew 22:37-39)

Reset. Reset. Reset. That’s me, pushing the Holy Spirit button trying to re-center my day and my prayer. It has been one of those days of frustration. People are pushing my buttons. Obligations are pushing my buttons. Responsibilities are vying for attention and all of these things have taken over the hamster wheel of distraction inside my brain as I try (try being a very loose word) to pray (another “obligation”). In the midst of this mental chaos the Holy Spirit drops a blast from the past, the video game Space Invaders, and I have to laugh. Following this prompt I try to imagine all my distractions as descending spaceships and shoot them down one by one. Sadly this doesn’t work. Next I take all my distractions, imagine wrapping them up in a box, and I unceremoniously dump them in the arms of Mary, “Here, you watch these for a while so I can spend some quality time with your Son.” This does do the trick and it brings my mind back to the words of the Holy Spirit, [Space Invaders]. I have often shared with friends (probably with you as well) that there is a part of me that longs for the monastic life. The quiet contemplative life of the “Desert Fathers” where life doesn’t invade. I have often thought that in the space of isolation holiness would surely be more attainable. Without the invasion, demands, needs, and frustrations of the outside world, our spiritual world would have SO much less distractions to “shoot down.” This morning as the quiet focus of prayer takes hold and His voice is able to be heard I come to the realization that isolation is not the petri dish of holiness. True holiness is best achieved in the messiness of space invasion. I cannot grow in virtue independent of human relationship. People are not the problem; they are the practice field for love, mercy, forgiveness, patience, humility, kindness, gratitude, and generosity. I am called to love the Lord, my God, with all my heart, mind, soul, and strength in the midst of life not independent or isolated from it. Jesus reminds us of this calling when He answered the question, “Teacher, what is the greatest commandment?”

“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. (Matthew 22:37-39)

Jesus teaches us that these two are intertwined. I must stop wishing for the monastic life. Each day with it’s frustrations, interruptions, and interactions provides my sanctifying opportunities where grace abounds. Amen.

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Lectio Collect: Final Take