PIETY is, of course, an indispensable virtue, because
whether we like
it or not, or are aware of it or not, we live it in one form or
another. At least, we become aware of the seeds of piety early in
life.
That’s because we are always in need to relate ourselves to someone
superior to us—be it our parents, our elders, and ultimately, God,
regardless of how we think about him.
It’s possible, though, that at a later time and usually after many
disappointing experiences, one may just have piety with his own self,
since he only believes in himself. Let’s not talk about this
possibility. Let’s just focus on what we normally—at least as of this
time—think of piety.
With the increasing pace of modern life, with its fascination for
technology and values like pragmatism, etc., it’s crucial that we take
a close, serious look at our responsibility to develop piety toward
God.
This is becoming an urgent necessity, since many now are the factors
that tend to snuff out our sense of piety. The many concerns and
pressures we meet everyday have an effective desensitizing effect on
piety.
This is not to mention that especially in our very complicated times,
we also meet a lot of puzzles and contradictions that erode our faith
and piety in a supreme being that is supposed to be supernatural, all
wise and all powerful.
It’s a predicament that actually has been experienced since time
immemorial. The Bible, from the Old Testament to the New, is full of
such stories. We start to question, then doubt, and can even fall into
unbelief, once our expectations and understanding of things seem to be
consistently contradicted.
Why do evil men enjoy success and the good ones suffer? Why are those
who try to pray and lead a moral, saintly life, usually end up poor,
maltreated, etc., while those who seem carefree spiritually and
morally appear to have a good time?
It’s situations like these that actually call, yes, even demand a
genuine, deeply-embedded piety, rather than lead us to despair and
bitterness. It really depends on us on how to react to these
predicaments.
We just need to realize that as much as possible we should not allow
the many disappointments and contradictions in life or our
intoxicating successes to simply play upon our senses and reasoning
that can only absorb things to a certain point.
They should be handled by our faith, with its corresponding piety,
that allows us, with God’s grace, to accept and somehow understand
whatever can happen to us in this life.
With faith and piety, we allow God, more than our own devices, to
guide us through any situation we may find ourselves in, good or bad,
big or small.
This is a point that we need to understand well. Very often, our
understanding of piety veers more toward something human than divine.
It’s a joint effort, of course, but with God making the initiative and
us corresponding to it as best we can.
We have to let go of the attitude, often unspoken, that makes us the
main actor of piety. Toward piety, our attitude should first of all be
that of obedience, docility, submission, before it can be something
active and fruitful.
Pope Benedict, in his Porta Fidei that declares the Year of Faith we
are in now, says: “To the extent that he freely cooperates, man’s
thoughts and affections, mentality and conduct are slowly purified and
transformed, on a journey that is never completely finished in this
life.”
We need to give teeth and body to this cooperation with God through a
clear and concrete plan of piety that should center around prayer,
sacrifice, recourse to God’s word and sacraments, etc., for these are
where we get in touch with God.
In this regard, and in view of the current conditions of the world,
we just cannot have a life of piety that is led more by us than by
God. We need to have a plan adapted to our particular circumstances
and to the objective requirements of our spiritual and moral life.
In short, we have to outgrow the mentality that keeps piety a low
priority in the hierarchy of goals we have to pursue. It’s something
basic on which all the other goals of our life have to be founded.
We need to have a living, breathing piety that infuses us in all
aspects of our life with an immediately-felt sense of love for God and
others. It should be a piety that would definitively define our life.
it or not, or are aware of it or not, we live it in one form or
another. At least, we become aware of the seeds of piety early in
life.
That’s because we are always in need to relate ourselves to someone
superior to us—be it our parents, our elders, and ultimately, God,
regardless of how we think about him.
It’s possible, though, that at a later time and usually after many
disappointing experiences, one may just have piety with his own self,
since he only believes in himself. Let’s not talk about this
possibility. Let’s just focus on what we normally—at least as of this
time—think of piety.
With the increasing pace of modern life, with its fascination for
technology and values like pragmatism, etc., it’s crucial that we take
a close, serious look at our responsibility to develop piety toward
God.
This is becoming an urgent necessity, since many now are the factors
that tend to snuff out our sense of piety. The many concerns and
pressures we meet everyday have an effective desensitizing effect on
piety.
This is not to mention that especially in our very complicated times,
we also meet a lot of puzzles and contradictions that erode our faith
and piety in a supreme being that is supposed to be supernatural, all
wise and all powerful.
It’s a predicament that actually has been experienced since time
immemorial. The Bible, from the Old Testament to the New, is full of
such stories. We start to question, then doubt, and can even fall into
unbelief, once our expectations and understanding of things seem to be
consistently contradicted.
Why do evil men enjoy success and the good ones suffer? Why are those
who try to pray and lead a moral, saintly life, usually end up poor,
maltreated, etc., while those who seem carefree spiritually and
morally appear to have a good time?
It’s situations like these that actually call, yes, even demand a
genuine, deeply-embedded piety, rather than lead us to despair and
bitterness. It really depends on us on how to react to these
predicaments.
We just need to realize that as much as possible we should not allow
the many disappointments and contradictions in life or our
intoxicating successes to simply play upon our senses and reasoning
that can only absorb things to a certain point.
They should be handled by our faith, with its corresponding piety,
that allows us, with God’s grace, to accept and somehow understand
whatever can happen to us in this life.
With faith and piety, we allow God, more than our own devices, to
guide us through any situation we may find ourselves in, good or bad,
big or small.
This is a point that we need to understand well. Very often, our
understanding of piety veers more toward something human than divine.
It’s a joint effort, of course, but with God making the initiative and
us corresponding to it as best we can.
We have to let go of the attitude, often unspoken, that makes us the
main actor of piety. Toward piety, our attitude should first of all be
that of obedience, docility, submission, before it can be something
active and fruitful.
Pope Benedict, in his Porta Fidei that declares the Year of Faith we
are in now, says: “To the extent that he freely cooperates, man’s
thoughts and affections, mentality and conduct are slowly purified and
transformed, on a journey that is never completely finished in this
life.”
We need to give teeth and body to this cooperation with God through a
clear and concrete plan of piety that should center around prayer,
sacrifice, recourse to God’s word and sacraments, etc., for these are
where we get in touch with God.
In this regard, and in view of the current conditions of the world,
we just cannot have a life of piety that is led more by us than by
God. We need to have a plan adapted to our particular circumstances
and to the objective requirements of our spiritual and moral life.
In short, we have to outgrow the mentality that keeps piety a low
priority in the hierarchy of goals we have to pursue. It’s something
basic on which all the other goals of our life have to be founded.
We need to have a living, breathing piety that infuses us in all
aspects of our life with an immediately-felt sense of love for God and
others. It should be a piety that would definitively define our life.
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