Love is Spelled: T I M E

What good is home-schooling our children in the Catholic faith, if we can't miss one day of pre-planned lessons to help babysit some older siblings of an extremely sick child?

What good is attending a Pro-Life Committee meeting if on the exact same night a family in our parish whose child struggles with a life-threatening disability has no one to say a rosary over their sick baby's crib in the NICU?

There's a sickness of "busyness" among Catholics that is extremely dangerous because we crowd out God with our previously scheduled God appointments.

I have been following with great interest the story of newborn Tess and her parents, as told by her mother at Abigail's Alcove. Tess endured one ailment after another, culminating in an 18" length of IV line having to be removed from her heart. (Yes, it is an "and then what next" sort of story that these poor people have gone through.)

It all ended well. But in enduring the trials, something became very clear. I do not think this is reserved to Catholics. I think that "extreme busy-ness" is an American disease. We'd like to think that we're better than that. But obviously this is not the case.

Do go read the whole story at Abigail's Alcove. It takes a special sort of love to set aside plans and step up to help. We must pray that we have that love and, even when we don't feel it, we must do it anyway.

Jesus didn't give lip service. He gave his whole self. We must go forth and do likewise. It is the only way to be whole Catholics.

UPDATE
I meant to mention also that today is St. Therese of Lisieux's feast day. (Read more at this very good post at The Anchoress's.) This saint of little things would appreciate the problems we must overcome in ordering our time properly so that we put others first. St. Therese pray for us.