Make The Day Count
“Don’t count the days, make the days count.” ~ Muhammad Ali
There is a famous saying that puts things in perspective for priests: “O Priest of God. say this Mass as though it were your first Mass, your last Mass, your only Mass.” It reminds us to make that Mass count. The Masses we may have said before are no more and the Masses to come may or may not come. The Mass being said right now, that is the one upon which to focus.
That same intensity is implied in today’s quote, “Don’t count the days, make the days count.” If all we do is dwell on the past or look to the future, the present gets glossed over. We spend too much time fretting upon what was or what was not. We spend too much time on planning for the future, a future that may or may not happen given that our lives here on earth are temporary.
But today? Today has been given to us. Today is here. Today is real. We can and should make something of it. If we fail to do so, we will never get the opportunity called “today” back again. It will become something of the past, perhaps one of the somethings we regret and over which we fret.
Make today count. Embrace it from the very first breath you take upon awakening. Thank God for the gift of the day. Ask God to give you the grace that you need to do His will throughout the day. Meet the day with determination. At the end of the day, thank God for all that transpired.
Our days may be short and uncertain here on earth but we can always focus on the day that we have right in front of us. Don’t look behind. Don’t look ahead. Instead, celebrate the moment and dedicate it to God. Make it count.
FAITH ACTION: Don’t put off an improvement in your prayer life or an opportunity to engage in service for another. Do it today.