My father used to tell me that when I was sitting for an exam that I should go through the paper and do all the easy questions first.
While I love a challenge, I do not really love being in the midst of a challenge. When I challenge myself to try something new or different or unusual, I usually start with the smallest part of the job.
I am not overly concerned with the bigger picture – although I fix that firmly in my mind – and instead I focus on the tiny little things that I need to work through so that I can get through the mammoth task, one little step at a time. And it is quite an uncomfortable feeling to be working through a huge task and not really knowing if you will actually be able to get to the end. And I think that perhaps the most important part of the task is to actually trust in the process and trust in yourself to know that all the small steps will in some way contribute to a bigger picture and a better result…
I think that I learned this skill when I was just a young schoolgirl. My father used to tell me that when I was sitting for an exam that I should go through the paper and do all the easy questions first. Then – when I had attempted all the easy questions quickly, I could settle in for the harder tasks. The result of this was that it became quite easy to pick up the first seventy-five percent of the marks in an exam. It did not take much effort at all to be able to just sweep across a aper for the low hanging fruit. The, I could settle in and chip away at the harder questions. And I suppose that I do this same thing in my life – and every aspect of it – even today.
And I have been thinking about that as I have been thinking about the protomartyrs. During the reign of the Roman Emperor Nero, Christians were persecuted between 64 and 68 AD. Nero had them burned alive as human torches in his courtyard. He had them attacked and eaten by wild animals for fun. He had them crucified. These early Christians – many of whom died before even Saints Peter and Paul were killed by the Romans – were called the protomartyrs, and they were the Disciples of the Disciples…
And these first of all the Christian martyrs were the foundation of the Holy Church. God’s Holy Catholic Church was built – not only on the Body and Blood of God the Son, but also on the Bodies and Blood of these protomartyrs. And when I think about the task that they undertook in following Christ – in the face of such an undertaking and such harm to their physical beings, I am in awe. Because they understood how to break down even the biggest thing into one small step at a time – with all steps leading to Heaven through their deaths…
For with prayer, I stand on Holy Ground where everything is clear. Here. At the Foot of the Cross.
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