“God moves among the pots and pans.” -St. Teresa of Avila
We recently had some friends over for dinner: two female graduate students, a working 26-year-old man, and a newlywed couple weeks away from having their first child. And of course, me and Joshua with our little Peter.
During the dinner, our 26-year-old friend described a silent retreat he had attended over the weekend. It was at a site in Midland, about two hours away, and guided by religious. He described his experience of peace and restfulness in the Lord that weekend—something he had not felt in a very long time.
The husband of the newlywed couple was excited to hear all about it and told his wife how much he would love to do a similar retreat soon.
Though his wife agreed that silent retreats were unique and beautiful blessings, she thought that “our time for that may have passed because of the baby.”
I have to say that even after a brief time as a mother, I think she was right. By and large, our time for participating in weekend-long silent retreats has passed.
Parenthood is, after all, a never-ending responsibility. You’re on call 24/7. You’re never promised a schedule. The job description is constantly growing. It’s hard to have time to be with your spouse, let alone pursue a relationship with God.
It was St. Teresa of Avila, a Doctor of the Church, who said: “God moves among the pots and pans.”
More and more, I realize that the pursuit of sainthood is ever-present and ever-changing. Our single, white-collar working 26-year-old friend was able to attend a silent retreat in Midland where he could find peace and rest with the Lord. He could listen to impactful talks, receive the sacraments, and speak to a priest about discernment. These are great things, and he should do them.
Like our single friend’s retreat experience, both the female graduate students at our dinner party had come directly from Sunday Mass. They had carved out an extra hour of time before the hour-long Mass to pray and meditate. Even amid their busy exam and project schedules, they made the extra time.
In contrast, Joshua and I spend our whole Mass experience every week bouncing Peter and taking turns attending to him. Our newlywed friends are about to do the same. We don’t get to meditate before Mass, much less attend silent retreats. But we do get to find God in the dirty diapers, the midnight cries, the uneaten hot food, the smiles and laughs of our son, and the commitment to bring our family to His House. Among the pots and pans.
We must all pursue sainthood, every day of our lives. It’s just a matter of where we called to do it.
