Preciousness of Time

Many today abuse God’s patience, giving little thought to such important matters; they waste time, that most precious of gifts, and wretchedly fritter it away on frivolous things. Bernard writes, “Today people neglect the care of their soul and devote themselves thoroughly to the desires of the flesh. They are not afraid to sin—they are only afraid of being punished. Their concern is not to develop the virtues of the heart, but the soundness of the body, and even its enjoyment. They learned these lessons at the school of Hippocrates and Epicurus. But this is a time for souls, not bodies; these are days of salvation, not salaciousness.” And again, “There is nothing more precious than time, but alas! Today nothing is considered more worthless. The days of salvation pass by, and they are not given a thought. No one reflects that these moments have slipped away, never to return.”  In truth, there is no gift more precious than time: we have a brief hour in which to obtain pardon, grace, and glory, and to merit more than the whole

world can offer. The time is short, but in it we can acquire spiritual wealth that far exceeds in worth all the passing things of this world. Reflect, too, on the fact that one day of suffering here has more value than a year of suffering in purgatory; as we read in Ezekiel, A day for a year I have appointed to you. (Ezek 4:6.) The punishment in purgatory exceeds all the temporal punishments in this world. Augustine says that the fire of purgatory is harsher than any pains we can feel or see or even imagine in this world (sermon 41, de sanctis). Therefore, it is better for us to undertake to live a good life than a long one. In the words of Seneca, “The important thing is not how long you live, but how well you live;* life is measured by performance, not duration.”

The Life of Jesus Christ by Ludolph of Saxony. Adapted from Le Petit Écho de Notre-Dame – 115 – Août 2023