Most of us would agree with Anne Shirley, the main character of my favorite book series, Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery, when she says: “I'm so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers.” However, can we all admit that we face the temptation to be too busy this time of year? There are football games to watch or attend on the weekend. Thanksgiving plans are being thought about as it's around the corner. For those of us who are long-range planners, Christmas travel, presents, and parties are looming.
When I am busy, my mind will be in a thousand directions during prayer. Instead of praying, I’ll be thinking about my to-do list. I’ll apologize to the Lord in my prayer, and He is so patient with me. He often just reminds me that He loves me. He reminds me of His Truth.
Zakar
We need to be reminded of the truth of Who God is, and who we are: that God loves us deeply, and that He is at work. We need this all the time, but it is crucial when we are busy. The Hebrew word for remembering, zakar, has a deeper meaning than thinking about something that happened in the past. To remember brings something present again. It has an eternal quality. (To see how this relates to the Mass, read here.) So, when we are reminded of the Truth, we are present to our eternal relationship and identity in the current moment—the busy, present moment.
The best place for this zakar to happen, outside the Sacraments, is in Sacred Scripture. The Catechism of the Catholic Church tells us that “the books of Scripture firmly, faithfully, and without error teach that truth which God, for the sake of our salvation, wished to see confided to the Sacred Scriptures” (CCC § 107).
Because of this, I desire to increasingly immerse myself in Scripture. I have these in my room, and I rotate which card is visible. A seemingly simple thing, such as displaying a visible reminder like this, has a profound impact on my heart. I might be rushing off to the next thing, but a glance at His Word reorients my heart to Him.
To that end, I have gathered a few Scripture verses to remind us Who God is and who we are. God loves us deeply, and He is at work.
Who God Is
I, the Lord, do not change. // Malachi 3:6
I am with you. // Haggai 2:4
The LORD, your God, is in your midst. //Zephaniah 3:17
Christ sets us free. // Galatians 5:1
My God will hear me. // Micah 7:7
Sometimes I need to be reminded that nothing that I do can or will change the Lord. Sometimes our scruples, pride, or fear can tempt us to think that God is changeable or emotional. We can think that God will change what He does and how He loves according to our actions or sins. Scripture tells us that we are not that powerful:
No one can lessen, increase, or fathom the wonders of the Lord. // Sirach 18:6
Since the LORD, your God, is a merciful God, He will not abandon or destroy you. // Deuteronomy 4:31
The one who knows all things before they exist still knows them after they are made. // Sirach 23:20
His is the plan that calms the deep. // Sirach 43:23
Who We Are
The Lord stood by me and gave me strength. // 2 Timothy 4:17
You alone, LORD, make me secure. // Psalm 4:9
We are his handiwork. // Ephesians 2:10
LORD, you know me, you see me, you have found that my heart is with you. // Jeremiah 12:3
You know your servant, Lord GOD. // 2 Samuel 7:20
We Are Loved Deeply
With age-old love I have loved you. // Jeremiah 31:3
The LORD, your God, [. . .] will rejoice over you with gladness, and renew you in his love. // Zephaniah 3:17
Do not fear, I am with you. // Isaiah 41:10
I will not leave you orphans. // John 14:18
The Father himself loves you. // John 16:27
Love never fails. // 1 Corinthians 13:8
The Lord is at Work
He will heal us. // Hosea 6:1
In this place I will give you peace. // Haggai 2:9
I, the LORD, am your healer. // Exodus 15:26
Yet I am always with you; you take hold of my right hand. // Psalm 73:23
I will help you. // Isaiah 41:13
I will come to you. // John 14:18
There is hope for your future. // Jeremiah 31:17
Especially when we are busy, we need to “hold on to what is good” (Romans 12:9). How can I do that each day? Take a few minutes for a Jesus date. Choose one of the Scripture verses above to memorize and say in your heart countless times throughout the day. Write one verse at the top of the week in your planner. Post them where you are most likely to see them—on the mirror, refrigerator, the background of your phone (I love the BIS wallpapers for this!), or a sticky note on your desk.
How will you get into His word, especially when you are busy?
Sr. Mary Claire of the Holy Family is a member of the Society of Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity (SOLT) and currently serves in Corpus Christi, TX. She loves Jesus and Mary, and her students would say every Saint is her favorite. She graduated with a degree in elementary education and is currently working on a Masters in Theology from her Alma Mater, Franciscan University. A Tennessee girl who could live off Dr. Pepper and popcorn, she loves road trips, especially this one we are on to Heaven.
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