Humility in Formation: A Crockpot Approach Rather than Microwave

We live in a culture that demands immediacy for everything. Everything is hurry and hurry so more can be accomplished in a day. One of the greatest gifts to me over the past nearly two years has been the gift to sit out from ministry in the Church of England and get my feet grounded as a Catholic. That time out becomes the much-needed space for prayer and a lot of searching for the will of God and not my own. That is a very hard thing for many of us. After a while, the space of waiting becomes a gift rather than a burden. Waiting and preparing our hearts is the way Jesus told us to go if we want to find his will for our lives and the vocation he has set out for us. I remain in that period of my life and though impatient at times due to my human condition, I have found this period of time to search, pray and wait on God to be a real spiritual maturing for me. Vocation deserves such time no matter where God calls us to serve in his kingdom. Recently, I have been reading Archbishop Timothy Dolan's book Priests for the Third Millennium. Though it is written for priests primarily or seminarians, I have found the book to really speak to all vocations of life. One particular chapter that has my attention is the chapter on humility. When we get antsy and impatient about finding God's will for our lives we are reminded that humility puts us in the hands of God and looks to the Church for guidance. Archbishop Dolan writes,

The Lord and the Church say: Take your time! Wait! Prepare! Get ready! Years of preparation are essential if you are to be an effective apostle. Yes,we prefer the microwave - put the food in, push the button; in a matter of minutes,the meal is ready. The Lord, the Church, prefer the crock-pot: let it brew, stew, be seasoned, mellowed, for hours, then have your meal. And the food from the crock-pot beats the stuff from the microwave any day.

Let's be honest, the temptation to pragmatism,as Archbishop Dolan illustrates, is difficult for all of humanity. We struggle with this. Archbishop Dolan suggests we mediate on the "hidden life of Jesus". Every one of our desires must always come second to the Church's. May God give us the grace we need to live in the humility of Christ!