As I write this we are busy preparing for Bishop Mark’s installation as the new bishop of Saskatoon tonight. It’s an energetic time. Everyone has been running around, getting things ready. Invitations were sent, a dinner and a reception organized, travel plans and accommodations organized for about 20 (20!) other bishops, and so much more. My little contribution has been working to live stream the Mass (hopefully). It’s been quite crazy around here.

But this morning, everything seems a little more quiet, like a brief calm before the storm.

It’s like everything has just stopped for a moment. Most of the big preparation work has been done. Some details still need to be sorted out. Some things won’t get sorted out by tonight, but it’s unlikely that anyone will notice. And so it’s quiet.

I always like these times of stillness. Often they are very brief, too brief. And yet, they can be so very memorable. I can easily recall that night in 1997 when the northern lights were amazing. Or those few mornings that I got up, went to morning Mass, and then drove to the edge of the city to watch the sunrise. (That was also about 20 years ago; I’m definitely not a morning person…)

I find that these times of peace tend to ground me, provide a bit of a foundation for my life. They are times where I’m able to just sit and enjoy life, enjoy the good things around me, enjoy the beauty God gives me. The rest of the time I tend to get lost in the busyness of life, and the loudness of my kids. Recalling these times helps put the rest of my life in perspective. No matter how crazy things get, it will pass, and I will again have one of these times of peace. It might take a while, it might get worse before it gets better, but it will pass.

And now, as I finish writing, the moment has passed. The noise level out beyond the walls of my office has started to pick up. The phones are ringing. People are talking. The excitement is starting to build again.

I probably should have enjoyed the moment while it was here.