“How beautiful and great it is to know and serve God! We have nothing else to do in this world but this. Everything else we do is a waste of time.” (St. John Vianney).
These are the words of a fervent soul like the Curé of Ars, who spent much of his priestly ministry in the confessional so that he could proclaim God’s forgiving love to the people. They bring to mind the Lord’s words: “Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things shall be yours as well.” (Mt 6:33)
If we learn to follow this word, we will discover the freedom that lies within it: it is the freedom of the greatest love. We want everything we do to be connected with this love—or rather, everything should come from it and be permeated by it.
Just as Jesus always looked to His Father and did nothing without being in perfect harmony with His Father’s will, we are invited to set out on this same path. As this love awakens within us, we will learn to understand even the most difficult parts of our earthly journey as a service of love to God.
The Saint speaks of lost time when we do not adopt this fundamental orientation. This may sound a little harsh at first, for there are, after all, harmless pleasures and activities that do not violate God’s instructions. Yet, if we understand the word in the context of a passionate soul that burns with the desire to lead souls to God, it becomes clearer. It feels empty when it is not fully united with God, when it voluntarily engages in things that do not serve the growth of love and can distract it. Perhaps in this time, one could have saved even more souls.