“How does a project get to be a year behind schedule? One day at a time.” ~ Fred Brooks
Today, our “count” begins. Today is the first day of Ordinary Time. It literally comes from the word “ordinal”, to count. What we count are the days to the end of the liturgical year. This is the first week in Ordinary Time. We will count through the final week in Ordinary Time before we begin another Church year with the season of Advent.
We have to do more than count, though. If you will, we have to make each day count. The day should be filled with some positive good either directed at another or, even, at ourselves. God wants us to care for all people, ourselves included, and considers the day successful if we have but one moment when we made it special for someone else or used it to improve our own relationship with another person or with God.
“How does a project get to be a year behind schedule? One day at a time.” Fred Brooks reminds us that our days need to count. Each and every day of our life is an important one. God has numbered the hairs on our head. God has also numbered the days of our lives. He wants our days to be full and productive. He does not want us to have empty days. There are many people who go from day to day without doing a thing. They look toward the future but forget to live in the present.
When we count the days, we look ahead. As we do so, let us be mindful of the present day. It does us no good to look so far ahead that we fail to see the opportunity to do a kindness this very day, to say a word of good cheer this very day, to become a little bit more holy this very day. We would be remiss if we forgot the Lord in the midst of our day. So often we plan our days out but do not plan any time to be with God, to reflect upon God’s love, or to do the works of the Lord. Make today count.
God has given us a limited number of days here on this earth. Let us recognize the goodness of each day and allow the special nature of each day to shine forth in our words and in our deeds.
FAITH ACTION: Make sure to schedule time for the Lord today and every day.