Patience

     Our parish is having a cell phone tower erected within the steeple. It caused quite a ruckus; some people left, some people wrote letters to the bishop, others started letters of protest. It went up anyway, with the bishop's approval. It turned out to be an even bigger blessing than some of us had hoped for because when the telecommunications company removed the steeple from the roof, they discovered that the base was completely rotted. We were fortunate it hadn't rotted all the way through and come crashing down. Also, they paid for the repairs, to the tune of $200,000.00, an astronomical amount that we could never have afforded. 

     Anyhow, yesterday when we went to church, they had erected a large scaffold in front of the altar so Mass was celebrated with a small table midway down the nave and the priest with a handheld mic. When I asked someone how people reacted to the scaffold he said, "Oh, what was expected", which means not good at all. Before Mass began I could see people muttering and pointing. But I thought it was actually nice to sit so close together instead of dispersed throughout the pews and to have the priest among us rather than above us.

     During the homily, the priest said that for each week of Advent, we would offer something to God. Parishioners were welcome to write these offerings in a book beside the altar and at Christmas, this book and its intentions would be offered up to God in thanksgiving. Last week the theme was justice. I had a hard time with it. I wasn't sure exactly what I could do. This week the theme is patience. Oh boy... Right after my "anger" rant, too! For me, patience is one of the hardest characteristics to maintain. Patience with myself, patience with my hubby, patience with my family, patience with friends, patience with anyone! I don't mean to make it sound like I'm always mad or disappointed or impatient with people but Satan will always present opportunities for you to lose your patience...or maybe it's just me because he knows my weaknesses better than I do. It could be anything. Someone is late. Someone ignores you. Someone talks behind your back. Someone judges you. Someone cuts you off in traffic. These things happen on a day-to-day basis! What do do?

Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; do not fret when people succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes. ~ Psalm 37:7

Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. ~ Romans 12:12

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. ~ 1 Corinthians 13:4

Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. ~ Ephesians 4:2

Our priest finished by saying, "Be patient with one another. Love one another. Because the person who is loved becomes lovable." It's difficult to love until you've been loved. The more someone is loved, the easier it is to love that person. The more someone is loved, the more they love in turn.

If God is love, if God is patience and I strive to be like God, then I will be patient, I will be love. That's the goal, anyway!