a touchstone

A good homily story I heard a number of years ago had as its punch-line “remember that the most important thing, is to always keep the most important thing, as the most important thing.”

It’s a great line, even without the preceding story. For me it has become a regular touchstone, a method for taking a moment in the midst of overwhelming busyness, stress or anxiety, to judge if the things I am busy, stressed or anxious about are really worth all that busyness, stress and anxiety.

The ultimate touchstone is given in today’s gospel reading when Jesus, in response to the Pharisees‘ attempt to test him, quotes the first of the commandments.

As we begin a new week we might use this as a test criteria to return to often during a day, especially when the day has more than its share of anxiety:

Am I seeking to love the Lord my God
with all my heart
with all my soul
and with all my mind?

Am I seeking to love my neighbour
as I myself need and want to be loved?

Try it. I guarantee you will notice a change in your life that delights you.