ST. JOHN CALABRIA VISITS US WITH HIS WATCH
The choice of the clock of St. John Calabria as a significant object is strange, because he did not like watches. Nor did he want to see them worn by religious! This can be understood by contextualizing this vision in his time: then keeping the watch "on a cuff" was a sign of wealth and refinement, certainly not the lifestyle of the religious.
It was often used to write on clocks and sundials the Latin motto "ruit hora", that is, the hour breaks in, time looms inexorably, it does not stop, it passes. Implicitly an invitation to use one's time well, without wasting it on useless or trivial things. It is not, therefore, only of our days to fight with the time that escapes, but St. John Calabria had a very original way to read the clock. Putting his hand to the clock to see what time it was immediately triggered in him the thought of eternity, of God and of the purpose for which this time was given, the sanctification of his own life!
It was often used to write on clocks and sundials the Latin motto "ruit hora", that is, the hour breaks in, time looms inexorably, it does not stop, it passes. Implicitly an invitation to use one's time well, without wasting it on useless or trivial things. It is not, therefore, only of our days to fight with the time that escapes, but St. John Calabria had a very original way to read the clock. Putting his hand to the clock to see what time it was immediately triggered in him the thought of eternity, of God and of the purpose for which this time was given, the sanctification of his own life!
ST. JOHN CALABRIA SPEAKS TO US WITH HIS WATCH
If this clock could speak, it would tell us how many times he heard St. John Calabria speak, about time, not only of the future, but of the present! It would be wrong to think that keeping our eyes continually on eternal life, on heaven, on what will come one day means choosing to suffer today to receive a reward for our sufferings tomorrow. The thought of Saint John Calabria was a continuous reminder of the present, and uses precisely the expression "coordinating the present life with the future life". Today we can enjoy all the gifts that God gives us, if we have this coordinated gaze, with the aim of never losing sight of God's goodness for us. This way of seeing (remember glasses?) Then the value of time also changes, which becomes an opportunity to fill every moment with good works, which show the beauty of life with God.
The accent, therefore, is not on "sacrifice", on loss, but on "beauty", on the filling of meaning that the whole present life assumes.
Let's try to synchronize with him? Looking at the clock and wondering if our time has this wonderful meaning... fill our elusive time with praise and blessing to make it eternally happy. learn to enjoy a happiness that begins ... hour!


The accent, therefore, is not on "sacrifice", on loss, but on "beauty", on the filling of meaning that the whole present life assumes.
Let's try to synchronize with him? Looking at the clock and wondering if our time has this wonderful meaning... fill our elusive time with praise and blessing to make it eternally happy. learn to enjoy a happiness that begins ... hour!

