Today is world Turtle Day.
Due to their heavy shells, turtles are slow-moving on land. A tortoise is a type of turtle. A desert tortoise moves at only 0.2 mph. That is 1056 feet in one hour or the equivalent of roughly 3.5 football fields. A human should be able to walk that in 4-5 minutes. A desert tortoise would take one hour. That is why turtles are often associated with patience.
A Catholic priest once said that among the most frequently confessed sins are anger, being judgmental, and impatience. Patience is a virtue and one of the fruits of the Holy Spirit. Saint Catherine of Siena is quoted as having said – “There is no sin nor wrong that gives a man such a foretaste of hell in this life as anger and impatience.” In my search I have come across various positions on whether impatience is a sin. However all tended to agree that it can easily lead to serious sins such as anger or uncharitable words and actions. I have personally struggled with this bad habit in my life. Most would benefit by asking the Holy Spirit for the virtue of patience.
One thought that had come to me that provides some help is the idea that when impatient it is because I want my will to be done instead of what is occurring. I would prefer to be somewhere else or doing something else than what is going on. However God’s will is that I am just where He wants me to be. A great book is “He Leadeth Me” by Walter J. Ciszek. He was an American priest that wound up in prison in Russia for ,many years. In the book he talks about God’s will. He says “What can ultimately trouble the soul that accepts every moment of every day as a gift from the hands of God and strives to do his will?” So in a way when I become impatient I am preferring my will over His will. How often have I prayed “Thy will be done…” but when I am impatient and getting angry or frustrated I am not thinking of that.
Maybe these thoughts will help to alleviate the uncomfortable feeling of impatience. If not maybe they will help us think to unite our suffering with Jesus’ suffering and offer it to God for our good and that of His Holy Church. Either way on this World Turtle Day may we have the patience of our slow moving fellow creature. Happy World Turtle Day!
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