What do you do when time runs out? Every week, in preparing our Catholic newspaper, we have a deadline, and under ordinary circumstances, we live by it. We have only so much time to complete the writing and the editing and the layout of the paper. Then our work has to be sent to a printer, where more work is required to be done by a certain deadline so that the printed copies can be addressed in time to get to the post office, in time to be sorted and distributed for carriers, in time for them to take the papers to our readers who have come to expect the paper on time. We do the writing, editing and layout at offices in Evansville, Ind. The paper is printed in Tell City, Ind., by the staff of the Perry County News. Address labels are put on at the Tell City facility, too, then our printed copies are trucked from Tell City to the main post office in Evansville. Postal workers in Evansville get the papers to area post offices, and ultimately to the carriers who will take each newspaper to the home mailbox of every subscriber. There may be extraordinary exceptions to our ordinary deadline. The election of a new pope, for example, would be the occasion for an emergency extension of the deadline. These exceptions are very rare but this week we experienced one of them, not because of a major new development but because of a major computer problem. As I write these words, we are well past our deadline for completing the writing, editing and layout. I am not yet certain of what the future will bring. I have great hope but no certainty that with the help of a called-in computer expert and with the willingness of the staff at Perry County News to adjust to our emergency, we will get the papers to our readers on time.
* * * In the middle of this weekly process when everything happens under ordinary deadline pressure it may be easy to ignore the efforts of all the people who contribute to our success. In an extraordinary week, as this one has been, it is impossible to ignore. Only a fool would be ungrateful.
* * * These are some of the things I learned this week.
- For all of the people who make this issue of the Message possible, I am grateful and I thank God for your presence.
- I also realize that you have placed me under a great burden to make sure that what we write and print and mail and distribute is worth the human effort that goes into it.
- And finally, I have realized that one of the greatest challenges of every Christian is to be ready for the ultimate deadline. Thats the one each one of has to do alone but yet we ought to be thankful for the community that gives us all the support and guidance we need along the way. None of us has gotten this far, alone.
* * * The approaching season of Lent could well be the occasion for reflection on our readiness for the things that matter in our lives. We have only so much time to express our love for those around us; there is no time that should be wasted on hatred or petty irritation. There is never enough time to say, Ill take care of that tomorrow. I will start taking better care of my health, tomorrow, I think. I will make an effort to be reconciled with God and neighbor, when I have some time, tomorrow. I know I can quit any bad habit I have, so there is no need to rush; I can do that tomorrow. I can improve my reading habits, and work in some Scripture, some day soon, maybe tomorrow. I can call that old friend, the one with the serious illness, as soon as I get done with the stuff I have to do today. I want to make a difference, but not right now.
* * * When will you find time to make a difference?
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