Reflections from the Heart – August 13, 2023

Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
by Fr. Ivan Olmo

“I wait for the Lord; my soul waits for his word.”  I acknowledge like so many of you how difficult it is to wait.  How difficult and how nearly impossible it is to be patient and wait patiently.  We want to wait but need everyone to hurry and move along quickly and go even faster.  Really, we need to learn how to wait and how to be more patient with ourselves, with others and especially with the Lord.  We need to learn from the Lord how to be patient and wait for the Lord to respond but impatience begins to creep in ever so quickly. We become impatient instantly and wonder what is happening and why is this taking so long. We cry aloud and vent our frustration.  We voice our discontentment towards what we perceive to be the source of incompetence, laziness, lack of judgement and poor planning. We say no one cares or understands how busy we are. We believe we could accomplish so much more if we did not have to wait all the time. Impatience steadily but rapidly rises and gives way to frustration, frustration to more impatience, greater impatience to anger, anger to harsh words and harsh words to… well let’s not go there.  We seem to spend our days endlessly waiting to get through a line. We remain and stay stuck in traffic more often than we care to, and we wait and wait and wait for someone to pick up and acknowledge the call and even wait longer for someone to provide an answer. We are so tired of hearing, “one moment please” or “We’re busy with another customer.” We say, “Lord grant me patience but hurry.” Patience is a great friend especially in times of unforeseen circumstances and during our sojourn in this strange land.  Patience is an ally in situations that seem unsettling and even in those times when things do not turn out as planned. I think personally for myself how patience is a great gift, an amazing virtue and a healing comfort.  How patience has taught me to wait for the Lord to lead me and to wait and pray for the grace to wait for the Lord to lead me and to pray for the grace to follow in his way. So be patient and wait, pray and then wait and pray a little while longer for our Lord is gracious and ever so kind to his busy, hurried children.  God always provides. So be still, be patient and wait. God won’t disappoint.