Day 11
I have a confession to make (although my Mom and Dad already know this), when I was little I took piano lessons. I would tell my parents that I was practicing six days a week and I would say the same thing to my piano teacher. I maybe only practiced once during the week and then at the piano teachers house. I don’t believe I was making much progress as I didn’t like to do it and I wasn’t practicing. Can we imagine an Orchestra not practicing, it would sound horrible. Just imagine if all the members of the Orchestra practiced, but one member didn’t think they needed to practice. This would be a problem. The music would be a little off. There are some pieces that are so complicated that being a little off throws a huge monkey wrench into the music.
Each of us is a member of the Orchestra; we all have our part to play. Some of us play the strings such as the violin, viola, cello, harp and bass. Others play the brass: trumpet, trombone, French horn, and tuba. We could be part of the percussion instruments: xylophone, tambourine, cymbals, timpani, triangle, bass drum and snare drum. Maybe we are a part of the woodwind family: clarinet, saxophone, flute, oboe and bassoon. Each plays an important part, but we are forgetting someone: the conductor. The conductor helps to keep everyone working together. God is our conductor and we are His Orchestra. So we need to practice in order to be consistent in our playing of our instrument.
Inconsistency in practice of an instrument leads to bad playing. Inconsistency in our practice of the faith leads to us being out of tune with God. “Inconstant devotees are those whose devotion to our Lady is practiced in fits and starts. Sometimes they are fervent and sometimes they are lukewarm” (Preparation for Total Consecration, 39). I can dress like a member of the Orchestra, put on tux with all the trimmings, some nice shoes and even a bow tie. I may even put the triangle into my hand, but that doesn’t make me a member of the Orchestra. I have to practice and know the music; I have to understand the signals of the conductor.
We should strive to be simple members of the Orchestra; we don’t have to play the first chair violin. Rather, we might just play the triangle (or the cow bell if they have one). We are to be devoted to our Lord (the conductor) in simple ways; we don’t have to do more and more prayers just to look good. I can look good without playing an instrument. “Rather adopt only a few [pious practices] and perform them with love and perseverance in spite of opposition from the devil and the world and the flesh” (Preparation for Total Consecration, 40). Remember the KIS principle: Keep it simple. That is what we are called to in living out the faith.
Do you think God gets tired of hearing us tell Him that we love Him?