Simplicity

[One in a series of Reflections on Franciscan Virtues by Friar Pete MacNaughton, St. Michael's Hermitage, Regina, SK]

​My partner cracks up because every time I try and describe the new person from Netflix who’s got this fantastic organizational method, I end up screwing up her last name.  Marie Kodo.  Marie Katono.  Marie Klondike.

Marie Kondo is the newest sensation!  Her method of organizing and simplifying involves categorizing household items, going through them one by one, and keeping only those items which spark joy in one’s heart.

I’ve watched a couple of episodes on Netflix and thought to myself that this is a method that I’d love to try in my own home!  I’ve spoken with a friend here in town who’s started the method in organizing their own home, and when I asked them how it was they told me it was both emotional and satisfying.

When it comes to sorting through stuff to get to simplicity, it can be emotional!  We’ve grown to have attachments to all kinds of physical things, things which either give us a feeling of comfort and security like four walls and a roof, or things that give us a false sense of comfort, a false sense of fulfillment.

Many of us turn to shopping, or “retail therapy” because it gives us comfort, a rush, but does it truly sort out what’s going on?

How many of us hold onto resentments, hold onto anger, frustration, a drive to succeed for more when more only creates strife, suffering, and emotional struggle?

Is spiritual simplicity as easy as sorting through things and finding what sparks joy?

Does spiritual simplicity, the narrow path that’s talked about by Jesus in the New Testament, spark joy for us?

Jesus is sitting in front of you.  You say to Him that you want to follow Him, and that you love Him truly with all your heart.  He says to you, “Sell everything you own, take up your cross, and follow Me.”
Could you do it?
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When you hold Christ in your heart, does He spark joy?  Or has He simply become another object amongst the clutter?

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