'He will send his angels to watch over you' -- Sometimes with a mop and bucket in tow

		Living the Scriptures  with St. Paul University  Catholic Center  Fr. Randy J. Timmerman, D. Min

"Amen, amen, I say to you, when you were younger, you used to dress yourself and go where you wanted; but when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go."

College students, I have found, are blessed with incredible energy. They convince me that once they set their minds to an effort and couple it with passion, the sky is the limit.

Third Sunday of Easter (April 25, 2004) Acts 5:27-32, 40b-41 Ps 30:2, 4, 5-6, 11-12, 13 Rv 5:11-14 Jn 21:1-19 or Jn 21:1-14

I marvel at the disciplined heart of a junior who shows up at crew practice every morning at 6:00 a.m. because she loves it. Based on energy and passion, the young mind, heart, and body have an ability to ignore limits.

Then I turn to my mother who has recently been diagnosed with a "weak heart." Today, several of her friends arrived at her doorstep, cleaning buckets in hand and gently asked if they could come in and do her spring cleaning.

It has been two years since she did the thorough scrubbing from attic rafters to basement corners that was her habit. My mother had to accept the truth, the cross, that now she must stretch out her hands and let others help with some of her needs, certainly "a place where she doesn't want to be forced to go."

But this is the way it seems to work in the physical dimension of our lives - our bodies age and that which we used to do is no longer possible.

There are parallels in the spiritual dimensions of our lives as well. The "spiritually" young believe they are in control and approach prayer believing that if they pray hard enough they can control God and change God's mind. We plea-bargain and beg God to do things our way.

	Reflection questions • What are some of the "crosses" in my life that I have trouble accepting? • In what ways can I mature spiritually, accept these crosses, and allow God to take control?

Mature spirituality brings a sense of surrender to the mystery of life. We accept the "crosses" that arrive.

To "grow old" spiritually is to loosen one's grip on the need to control and to open the door and allow the presence of God to enter - on God's terms, sometimes even with a mop and bucket in hand.

Fr. Randy J. Timmerman is pastor of St. Paul University Catholic Center, Madison.

St. Paul's Web site is www.stpaulscc.org

Faith Alive!

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