Twenty-First Saturday of Ordinary Time

Nevertheless we urge you, brothers and sisters, to progress even more, and to aspire to live a tranquil life, to mind your own affairs, and to work with your own hands, as we instructed you.

In a world that is so busy, it is especially difficult to live a tranquil life. There are so many distractions and temptations around us. We can get sidetracked quite easily if we aren’t self-disciplined. Also, there are so many ways to be connected with other people that it can become very difficult to mind our own affairs. There is a constant temptation to talk with others continually, which if not carefully controlled can lead to gossip, bad-mouthing, nosiness, and all sorts of sins against others. In addition, all these diversions from TV to computers to cell phones can keep us from doing the work God is calling us to do. If we are persistently distracted from our responsibilities and relationships with others, we lose sight of what is important in life. We get nothing useful or important done. We put off what is necessary and good for what is unnecessary or evil. This is why it is so important to build up good habits and virtues and keep them strong by making them a core part of our daily lives.

How can we live more tranquil lives? What can we do to avoid the distractions that derail our good thoughts, words, and works? How can we do a better job of minding our own business and doing the work God has prepared for us?

O Lord, help us to progress in faith, hope, and love and aspire to live tranquil lives.

Amen.