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THE SIMPLE LIFE: Making More Time for God
A Reflection by Fred Schaeffer, OFS
This Reflection was written when I became a Monk, 24 years ago. I was with these monks for 5 years. Then they 'folded,' and I returned to the Secular Franciscan Order. Been with the OFS for 29+ years, and I love it. If you are a Secular Franciscan, I hope you do too. This Reflection was already on this website, but I want to emphasize the subject of "Making more time for God." /Fss
Making more time for God The "American Nightmare", a term coined by Cecile Andrews, author of "The Circle, of Simplicity" (Harper Perennial, 1998), is our downfall - it takes us further and further away from God. It is greed, domination, competition, consumption (consumerism), and commercialism. Greedy people are caught up in this "I've got to have this" syndrome. A big car, a big house, more and more money, greater investments, and they usually do not spend a dime on the poor. In fact, they have no use for anyone except themselves. Domination goes hand-in-hand with greed - that's when you have this urge "to call the shots." Manipulation ... right? Competition isn't necessarily unhealthy except when it becomes the only game in town. Consumerism and commercialism sets in when we're on a buying frenzy, and when we become more and more secularized in our approach to life. Is that you?
Does something ring true here that applies to you? How does this take me away from God?' - let's talk about that a little... As Franciscans, we dutifully repeat the words of St. Francis himself, who was frequently heard to say "Deus Meus at Omnia", which means: "My God and my All." All means 100%, right? So if we are a contributor to the "American Nightmare" then we're insincere when we tell God (or think it) that He is our ALL. As a contemplative monk, although still a postulant, I had much to learn. One of the things I needed to learn is to get rid of clutter in my life. This would do all of us a lot of good. I've come to the conclusion that 'clutter' are things that draw my attention away from God. Such things as computers, which we use, often enough, to kill time. If we have time to kill... we should use it to visit Jesus, in Church, or if that's not feasible, in our interior life via prayer, a conversation with our best friend: Jesus! To be with Jesus 100% demands total abandonment of our self (our ego) and then He will be our All. There's only one way to find this abandonment: prayer. Evaluate the people you spend your time with. Are these people good for you? Do you even like them? Some of us are so lonely that we hang out with people whom we really don't need in our lives... (of course, I don't mean your spouse; if you don't get along with each other than do something about it! Go to a counselor, or a priest).
Stress in life, particularly stress caused by consumerism, causes lower self esteem. You don't need another winter jacket if you already have one. You don't need another pair of sneakers if the last ones are still good. Materialism creates envy and jealousy. You discover one day that you hate your neighbor because he has a much nicer car than you have. Forget it... be happy with what you have got. As a monk I didn't go out to the store for anything, unless I really needed it, and then someone bought it for me subject to funds on hand. We lived on hand-me-downs. Our stuff came from the Salvation Army, St. Vincent de Paul, etc. Since there was insufficient space in this house for my (now, 'our') computer, it sat in my cell. I needed a table for it. I put one together from rough, weatherized, unpainted two-by-fours and a somewhat uneven 23"x48" board and some rusty screws and nails. It did not look professional, but it worked! In fact, it was one of the best tables I've ever had! Recollecting to 1999 or 2000 - A few days ago, we had planned to go to Woburn and Burlington, Massachusetts, two communities somewhat west of Boston near route 1-95. As we started out, and had just turned onto route 2, eastbound, we discovered two hitchhikers standing in the pounding rain. Although we didn't usually pick people up... when we realized these two had habits and sandals on, we decided to offer them a ride, and so began a 3-hour odyssey 180 degrees in the opposite direction from where we had planned to go. They were two members, Fr. Francis, and Br. John, of the Franciscans of Primitive Observance, and they were on their way to North Mount Adams, a tiny town on the border between New Hampshire and the Berkshires, close to the New York State border. These men were perhaps in their mid to late thirties, healthy, robust, and most of all, they were joyful. We finally dropped them off at a lumber mill, high in the mountains. They were heading up a trail, several hundred yards toward the top, what seemed 'straight up,' to overnight at their hermitages. These, by their description, were small log cabins, without power, measuring 8 ft. by 10ft., and heated by a stove made from a 55-gallon drum. There was also a Tabernacle. They said that during idle morning hours they were enshrouded in dense fog, and that bear and moose sometimes came to visit. As I listened to these two brothers- in Christ, I had a most wonderful sense of peace: I felt that, perhaps for the first time in my life, I had met St. Francis of Assisi! Now, I don't propose for a minute that we try to do the same - that level of asceticism- takes a special vocation, a call from God, excellent health, great determination, and it just isn't for everyone... but do what you can at the place and station in life you're at. Make do with what you have, and don't complain about it; be simply satisfied. Right now, I have but one desire in life. It is, to become a joyful person and let nothing "phase" me. Abandonment is the only formula that, to date, has worked in my life. But it isn't magic. What it is, is love. I've fallen in love with Jesus in a way I never dreamt possible, and He has given me the grace to do it. He has given me the vocation to be a Monk of Adoration, which is a life of adoration, prayer, work and suffering so that I may repair for all the outrages toward, and the abandonment of, the Most Blessed Sacrament. Unfortunately, this Order 'folded' and I returned to the Secular Franciscans. That's where the Lord wanted me, as I've been there was 29+ years.
Sin is an outrage against the Blessed Sacrament, as is mishandling, lack of reverence, bad language, carelessness, etc. Cultivate a strong and unwavering belief in the real presence of Christ. The Catechism of the Catholic Church discusses this at length (see also "In Brief', # 1406-1419). Every morning, shortly after the 6:00 am. Office of Readings, we had a Holy Hour. It is an hour in which we gave ourselves totally to Jesus. You don't read a prayer, but you can. You don't pray the Rosary, but you can. You don't engage in meditation, but you could. Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament is contemplation. I bring myself into readiness by asking God to use me as He wishes. The hour runs by and it is often the best part of the day. In your life, live simply. Make time for God, because He loves you more than you realize.
Much of the joyful spirit is still with me. I live alone and that isn't always so good, but the "disturbance factor" is lower, too. If you trust in God, it all works out for the best. Peace!
Fred Schaeffer, OFS
Originally, written in Petersham, MA 1997, upd. 9/9/2021