Priorities

It snowed hard through the night, and the chapel where I do midnight adoration was closed. The next morning found me keeping to the narrow tracks in the snow as I slowly drove to church. Would mass be cancelled? As I approached a steep hill, would I make it up, or would that salt truck parked at the bottom call help for me? When I arrived, the church parking lot was just being plowed, and spaces were few, but I could see the chapel lights on and someone inside. Only a few made it to the mass Father Charles offered that morning. I’m glad that he – and they – made it a priority.

Later on that afternoon, the Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist were featured were featured on, of all things, the Oprah show! I think Oprah was flummoxed at their replies to her questions. Some became nuns right out of high school, but others cut short highly-paid executive careers (“with a closet full of Gucci purses”), and some had degrees from exclusive, expensive colleges, and some were even engaged to be married when they admitted to themselves that they were hearing God’s call to them. And they re-set their priorities.

I used to be an interviewer for potential new hires at Ford, assessing how they would fit with Ford, and Ford with them. One of the questions them I often asked them went something like this: “Are you a sports fan? What if your favorite team was coming to play at the University of Michigan with its 100,000-plus seat stadium, and you had tickets on the 50-yard line, a lot of tickets. So you invited family and friends from out of town to come for a big weekend party. But then, the Friday before, I came up to you at work and said I had a problem, and could you give me a solution? After analyzing it, you said it would take a couple of days to fix – but then I responded that it must be fixed by Monday morning. What would you do?”

After a bit of thought, some said “Of course, work would come first; my family would have to understand.” Some said “My family comes first, I will do what I can in the time available and give you my best response on Monday morning.” Only one, surprisingly, said “I’d ask my co-workers to help.”

After answering and explaining, the interviewees looked at me – was this question critical to their being hired?? I responded to their questioning stares: “There is no correct answer to my question, but it is one you will face many times here, and I wanted to get you thinking about it. All I can say in regard to ‘the correct answer’ for you are my thoughts, based on much experience. No matter how many hours you work, how far you advance – even to company president – a few days after you leave, most here will not think of you again. No one will remember your accomplishments, no matter how great. Ford will go on as if you were never there, it is a company and it has no feelings. But if you spend some of your life, some of your days, some of your hours – and indeed, even some of your minutes, perhaps with even just a smile or a or a kind word to a passing stranger, this time you spent for God, for your family, for your children, or even for strangers who needed you, may impact them forever. You might change their life; they may remember you always, talking to their children and their children’s children about the time their lives were changed, the time you gave them. What should you do with your time when there are conflicting priorities? All I suggest is that you consider your response carefully, and decide what is really important to do with your time, your life, what will really make a difference in this world.”

Years later, I had some people we hired tell me they remembered that question I posed to them, and thank me. Huh! And I thought perhaps that was time wasted by me! Only God knows and makes good the intentions of your heart, and our intentions are good if we are seeking to do His intentions.

Today is the feast of Our Lady of Fatima. The gospel included Mary’s words at Cana: “Do whatever He tells you.” Great words, but I guess it assumes that we are paying attention to what He is telling us, looking for the alternatives for this day, for this hour, and deciding on our priorities. Will we participate, like the servants at Cana, in the working of a miracle?

And as for me this day? Well, my very ill friend is back home from the hospital – for now, and sitting alone in her small apartment. I think I will buy her one of those super-large Valentine’s Day cards I saw in the 7-11 this morning – she doesn’t see very well. Perhaps seeing those cards was God’s hint to me about His priority. Then I’ll find a nice bouquet of roses or some nice smelling flowers, and pay her a visit, to wish her a happy Valentine’s Day. I know it will make her happy, and she will laugh. Even if she does so for only a few minutes, I think this will have been a great use for my time. That will be a key priority for my day. And perhaps this day will be something she remembers, even into eternity, the few minutes, the few dollars, the little time I gave her. Of all the things I could be doing today – including taking down my Christmas tree – I think this is best. Everything else, in the proper priority of things, can wait.

February 11: Our Lady of Lourdes.
In 1858 the Virgin Mary Immaculate appeared to Bernadette Soubirous near Lourdes in France within the cave of Massabielle. Through this humble girl, Mary called sinners to conversion and enkindled within the Church a great zeal for prayer and charity, especially service to the sick and poor.