Time is a treasure. S.Josemaria Homily 15pg

T i m e t r e s a u r e

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As I talk to you, and we make conversation together with God, Our Lord, I am simply voicing aloud my personal prayer. I like to remind myself of this very often. You for your part must also make an effort to nourish your own prayer within your souls, even in situations, such as the one we are in today, when we find ourselves having to deal with a topic which, at first sight, does not seem very conducive to a loving dialogue, which is what our conversation with God should aim to be. I say 'at first sight', because, of course, everything that happens to us, everything that goes on around us, can and indeed should form a theme for our meditation. want to talk to you about time, that passes so swiftly. I am not going to repeat to you the wellknown phrase about one year more being one year less... Nor am I going to suggest that you ask around what others think of the passage of time. If you were to do so, you would probably hear something like, 'Oh divine treasure of youth that slips away, never more to return...',

though I admit you may come across other views with a deeper and more supernatural content.Nor is it my purpose to dwell nostalgically on the brevity of human life. For us Christians the fleetingness of our journey through life should instead be a spur to help us make better use of our time. It should never be a motive for fearing Our Lord, and much less for looking upon death as a disastrous and final end. It had been said in countless ways, some more poetical than others that, by the grace and mercy of God, each year that ends is a step that takes us nearer to Heaven, our final home.

When I reflect on this, how well I understand St Paul's exclamation when he writes to the Corinthians, tempus breve est. How short indeed is the time of our passing through this world! For the true Christian these words ring deep down in his heart as a reproach to his lack of generosity, and as a constant invitation to be loyal. Brief indeed is our time for loving, for giving, for making atonement. It would be very wrong, therefore, for us to waste it, or to cast this treasure irresponsibly overboard. We mustn't squander this period of the world's history which God has entrusted to each one of us.

Let

us

open

the

gospel

of

St

Matthew at chapter twenty-five. We read, 'The kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins, who went to bring the bridegroom and his bride home, taking their lamps with them.

Five of these were foolish, and five were wise.' The evangelist tells us that the wise virgins had made good use of their time. They had prudently gone and provided themselves with the necessary amount of oil, and were ready when they were told: 'See, it's time.

Behold, the bridegroom is on his way; go out to meet him!' They turned up their lamps and went out joyfully to welcome him.That day will come for us. It will be our last day, but we're not afraid of it.

Trusting firmly in God's grace, we are ready from this very moment to be generous and courageous, and take loving care of little things: we are ready to go and meet Our Lord, with our lamps burning brightly. For the feast of feasts awaits us in Heaven. 'Dearly beloved brethren, it is we who are called to take part in the wedding feast of the Word, we who already have faith in the Church, who are nourished on Sacred Scripture, and who rejoice because the Church is united to God. Ask yourselves now, I pray you, whether you have come to the feast wearing your wedding garment: examine your thoughts attentively.' I

assure you, and I say the same to myself, that our wedding garment has to be woven with our love of God, a love we will have learnt to reap even in the most trivial things we do. It is precisely those who are in love who pay attention to details, even when they're doing apparently unimportant things.

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But let us follow t happens to the foo raised, they do thei Bridegroom. They g had come too late, bridegroom came; him to the wedd Afterwards those o "Lord, Lord, open done anything. The in the end they wer recognise you.' Eith ready properly or th to take the sensible time. They were no properly the little t They had been told they had wasted the look at our own liv just can't find thos finish lovingly the w very means of our s our family duties? through our prayers the Mass? How a serenity when it co

state, and yet so un whims? You might You're right, they ar fuel we need to ke shining.

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'Here is an image o man went out at d vineyard.' You know man goes back sev hire workers. Som almost at nightfall wages that I promi image and likenes engraved on each s God. He calls ea personal circumstan to be saved'. In ou brought up in the fa calling from Our L Therefore, when yo if it is at the last ho in the marketplace, those workers did, hands?We should n even a second — an work to be done. T are millions of sou doctrine of Christ i each one of you ind hands, think again have become lu speaking, you have moving, you are at are not doing all the people around you

work and in your fam

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You might tell me, 'W not I who answer y urging us.' A whole spent expanding th the very beginning tirelessly that cry know that you are another.' I did this put it into practice i how we shall be rec charity the starting who is purity perso disciples will be kn He, who so lived so stone upon which to days in prayer and Apostles: 'you will because you are purity of Christ's l generation — a slap day, a society wh corrupt. His tempe lives were one long induced vomiting so eating, thus fulfillin their stomachs have

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Our Lord's humility who spent their live Here in Rome I ha you yourselves hav its now ruined ar triumph victorious

and haughty and f under these monum their heads for fea with their majestic b humble, does not disciples by your m to help you realise the Master's comm as ever. It is, as proving that one is became a priest I h so many people ala to be new, because made an effort to have to say this, Messiah's words ar and for all, 'by this you have for one a remind people cons Lord. St Paul adds, ' you will be fulfilling amount of time you false excuse that y you have so many who are overwork kindly, with a smile will be practically im you are doing for t able to express the refinement of your pass undetected.Th their empty lamps, a free moment. The up wasting most of duty bound to re though Our Lord urgently, from the v

his service, let us burden and the hea will be no burden.

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Let us now consid 'went on his travels entrusted his good different amount absence. I think it how the man who a He acted in a way w call 'playing the cu wonders, then is m hole in the groun money'.What kind henceforth, now tha of his trade? He ha way out. He will received. From now hours, days, months meanwhile are bus and keen to give ba for the master has instructions had be venio; look after th profit, until the own thus his whole life b

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What a shame it occupation in life th given treasure! N behaviour. 'Let no o can't do anything." act in a meritoriou good account and o

many talents that G he may dedicate hi souls and the whole time on this earth, 'killing Heaven' fo selfishness, he bac and doesn't care. A hands over to the s what he is in life. small-minded. He d in his good name, o

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'Mine, mine, mine,' talk and act. How u Jerome comments t "to seek excuses fo those people who, a are also lazy and c makes people think that makes men ste keenness to work f their time. As for y instead, trample on life is for yourself? Y all men, through yo talent, dig it up ag taste the joy of kn business it does not are not wonders th matters is to hand we have, striving constantly exerting good fruit.God may in which to serve h two. Just concentra started. Give it to

resolution we ought

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'There was a rich m walled it in, and du in it, and then let it he went on his trav with me on what mind the points we has traditionally be God's chosen peopl human beings re ingratitude to so particular I should l 'he went on his tra conclusion that we vineyard where Go our energies to th walls, toiling in the rest in the tower w were to give in to Jesus, 'Look, my tim to tie myself down t

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Our Lord has given senses, our facultie no right to forget t among many, on th us to cooperate in others. This is our p of this plantation. H each day with Jes redemption.Allow m for yourself? Your tim

by God's mercy, s entered into your m

in case you ever fin in Christ. Should th you — to be true t your pride, to con superficial and run in the marketplace buried his talent w The one who shou vineyard went off insensitive to the entrusted to each a ourselves as his ins so that we may coup our entire liv surrendering oursel

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Again it is St Matt hungry one day on always deeply mov and especially whe perfect God he is tr teaches us to make own natural weak completely, just as gladly accept our Maker of the univ experiences hunge the sacred author t detail that makes encourages me to your sacred Huma homo, perfect God bone, just like you a

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Jesus had worked h

set off once more o by his need, he go distance, boasts a us that 'it was not comes to pick them find any at this time proves to be barren and luxuriant leave ever eat fruit of you May you never m disciples have felt, it was the Wisdom Jesus curses the fig only the appearanc Let this be a lesso being unproductive enough...' But tha unwell, I haven't m right, my surroun either. How pitiful t the foliage of a fa outward appearanc not sincerely attem though he is using around, to organise of solving all kinds to show for his effo works if they have ask Our Lord that w work with a heroism no lack of people approached, turn o glossy leaves. Foliag Meanwhile, many s satisfy their hunger must not forget tha We have sufficient

spite of our wretche

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I'd like to remind yo much time left, te earth is short, and means, all that's ne of the opportunitie moment that Our acceptable time, th for us and for all m have to cast upon u the prophet Jeremi knows its time; tur and stork, when t people the divine a There are no bad o good, for serving G men spoil them wit and their indolence working with God bless the Lord.' Tim escapes from us, water through the soon be another y short. Yesterday ha But what a great d God in this short sp any good. Our Lord He has instructed u precepts to us thr tirelessly. As with P who have been all you not learned to now come for us t each moment of th

joyfully, 'the day's b

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There's a passage which I think will h have been reflectin is a child. How his suffered when, on they could not find friends. And then w from afar, as he ins notice the words th seem hard? The Son is it that you soug have looked for him lose Jesus Christ an understand this...

Didn't you know th business?' Didn't yo time entirely to my

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The fruit of our conviction that our whatever the circum treasure of glory, a marvellous, which administer, with a answerable both to necessary for us to in the middle of profession or job, o — in fact all those worldly significance perceived the full d Our Lord in Opus D granted the matur

asked my God, w beginner, to make how to use my time best use of every m Lord knows how to time will come whe have understood m have fulfilled your imply thoughtlessne not necessarily me wise.Come with me You, who are our M up and make good men, teach me how Church and all man whenever necessar heart, as a gentle r own, because it b Heaven.