Changing gears

THE way things are now, what with all the glare, blare and

rapidity of modern, highly technological life, we need to re-study how

to change gears not only in our whole life in general, but also in our

day-to-day routine. What we of the older generation used to know and

use about this skill may not be helpful anymore now with the

Generation Y.

            At least, we need to tweak it a little, if not do some

major changes, adjustments and adaptations, or we may need to

completely reinvent ourselves. This seems to be the call of the times.

Yes, there are things that should not change, but we cannot deny there

also are many things that need to change.

            Virtues will always be virtues, and vices will always be

vices. But the way they are established, expressed and developed have

changed quite significantly. The terrain is now very different from

what it used to be.

            We have to be most wary of the almost irresistible pull of

the modern technologies. They tend to rivet us to a particular field

of interest, confining us there often with the sensation we are doing

all right. We fail to realize we are neglecting other aspects that are

even more important and fundamental in life.

            This is when we can unwittingly fall into some bad habits

and even addictions. We lose the proper sense of objectivity and get

more buried under an increasingly invincible subjectivism, often

driven and dominated by the blind impulses of the flesh and the

passing values of the worldly spirit.

            We have to update our skills in changing gears. We have to

learn how to differentiate, blend and practice in their proper places

and times our meditative and active modes, our prayer, work, study,

hobbies and rest, our family, social and professional obligations, our

private and public lives.

            We have to learn how to pay due attention to our spiritual

and material needs, our practice of the theological virtues of faith,

hope and charity as well as the human cardinal virtues of prudence,

justice, fortitude and temperance. This should be given more teeth and

made real, and stop being a mere theory and dream.

            We have to be more discerning of the many facets and

aspects of our life and to give the proper attention to each one of

them in a healthy hierarchy of values that reflects our dignity as

persons and citizens, as image and likeness of God, and as children of

God.

            In this regard, what is most helpful is for us to make use

of some workable plan of life, a dynamic, living structure that puts

some order into the many elements of our life as well as being open to

new, unexpected developments that can come along.

            Basic to this plan is to give due time to our need to

pray, study, work and rest. We need to further specify how to go about

these fundamental activities so we can truly say that they are

functional and are clearly helping us in pursuing our ultimate

objective of loving God and loving everybody else, whoever and however

he may be.

            What is also helpful is to continue purifying and

disciplining ourselves so that we can avoid being held captive by mere

sensations and emotions, or by mere trends and fads. That’s precisely

why Christ told us that if we want to follow him, we need to deny

ourselves and carry the cross.

            So we should have no doubt about the essential role that

the spirit of sacrifice, mortification and penance plays in our life.

When we are not open to this spirit, when we tend to shy away from it,

let’s be convinced that we would be disabling ourselves to change

gears properly and promptly.

            The skill of changing gears in our life is ultimately a

matter of our constant awareness that God is always with us, is always

intervening in our lives, is speaking to us through all the events of

our life.

            It is therefore also a matter of always recognizing the

presence of God in everything, and of discerning what is trying to

tell us at every moment and situation. This will require tremendous

faith and a strong, vibrant piety, which hopefully would be nourished

by that plan of life we referred to earlier.

            Let’s be convinced that being aware of God’s presence all

the time, and actively corresponding to his will and ways is really

what matters in our life after all is said and done.