A Sense of Urgency--Business and Spiritual

This morning should be the last issue of The Kansas City Star newspaper that we receive, due to their support of abortion and other social causes (e.g., homosexuality, fetal stem cell research) to which we are opposed. I would have canceled years ago but my husband believed it was important to keep track of what was going on and the Star is really Kansas City's only major newspaper. That is typical of how my husband acts--with deliberation and caution--for which I am mostly (but not always!) thankful.

That said, today's Star has an article that describes a successful entrepreneur, Cliff Illig. The co-founder of Cerner Corporation, one of KC's largest businesses, is quoted:

If patience is your greatest virtue you’ll make a lousy entrepreneur. Impatience is a virtue. Have a constant sense of urgency.

I think Illig's advice is particularly applicable to changing one's life and following the path to sainthood. A sense of urgency is needed because we don't know how long a time the Lord will give us. It's easy to say I'll enjoy today and begin to sacrifice tomorrow. Or, I'm too busy to pray today, and I'll make it up tomorrow. Or, I'll eat the whole thing today and begin to diet tomorrow. Those are excuses--not signs of patience--and they simply don't work!

I would bet that most of the great saints had a well-developed sense of urgency. Relying on God's help through many prayers, they were quick to move to accomplish goals. St. Francis Xavier is probably the best example and he is said to have converted more people to Christianity than anyone since St. Paul. Mother Angelica also had a sense of urgency in creating EWTN to build a critical Catholic media for these times.

A century ago, St. Philippine Duchesne had a sense of spiritual urgency. A very short review of her dramatic life is found at Catholic Forum. Especially interesting is the fact that she only left France to be a missionary to the Indians in the Louisiana Purchase at the age of 49--not a young age to begin this kind of work!

A pilgrimage to the Shrine of St. Philippine Duchesne will start on Saturday, September 22, 2007 with 10 a.m. Mass at Sacred Heart Church in Mound City, KS. Afterwards, pilgrims will walk (good shoes needed!) to the outdoor Shrine for lunch (bring your own, including drinks). This annual event will end with Stations of the Cross and is sponsored by the Latin Mass Community of St. Philippine Duchesne at Blessed Sacrament Church in Kansas City, KS. Directions to Mound City from Kansas City: South on 69 Hwy to 52 West, then 5 miles west on Hwy 52.