Corpus Christi Catholic Church in Phoenix shared a recent reflection by Jen Arnold, M.A. in Theology and Catechetics, on the wise use of time.

October is an ideal time to think about how we have used our gifts to help and serve others, and glorify and serve God, as well as dedicate ourselves to improving our service of others in the future.

While the last year may not have panned out the way we thought it would, that is the nature of life. 

"It is important to note that circumstances in life can always change, at any time, for any reason," Arnold said in the church's Oct. 11 bulletin. "Loss of employment, loss of a loved one, illness and unexpected bills are all examples of things that can get lobbed at us, throwing us off course." 

We are certainly not promised that we will be given any sort of stability in life; and if anything, we should be prepared to have our lives thrown out of balance. But in this we can learn to listen to the voice of God and see that his timing and plan are perfect. 

While we may not think about it as an asset in the same way that money is, our time is one of the most valuable resources we do have.

"We may be disappointed in how our time was greatly affected this year, but we must not despair because there is one very important way we can always spend our time, which can very rarely be thwarted if we remain intentional and vigilant, and that is time in prayer," Arnold said.

COVID-19 may be responsible for many things, but failure to pray has only to do with our own individual failure.

"I have had to accept the changes in my life and learn to be creative and flexible in finding new ways to spend time with my Lord," Arnold said.

While Satan may tempt us to spread ourselves too thin and forget to pray, we must see that without our time with the Lord, we will be harming our relationship with God and our own lives.