Wednesday, February 4, 2015

Fighting against lukewarmness

THIS is a very common spiritual illness. What’s so dangerous about it
is that it often passes as something ordinary and normal. It hardly
causes any worry, much less, alarm. It lulls many of us to think
there’s no problem.

It’s an attitude, a mindset, and, worse, a culture that is stuck with
the minimalist virus, contented with what is practical, convenient,
popular, profitable, etc., and goes no further. It justifies itself by
saying, “Why do I need to go any further? Things are already ok as
they are.”

It is the perfect expression of the adage, “The good is the enemy of
the best.” And so it fails to submit itself to the law of love that
requires self-giving without measure, a total self-giving whose
language is generosity and heroism all the way to death.

Of course, behind that justification is a subtle, unspoken compromise
with one’s laziness and other weaknesses, not to mention, his lack of
faith and spirit of sacrifice. That justification puts one in the Stop
mode of his spiritual life, when it is supposed always to Go, to Move,
to Grow always.

In the Book of Revelation, there is a clear condemnation of such
spiritual illness. “Because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor
hot, I will spew you out of my mouth.” (3,16)

We have to be more aware of this danger and do all to avoid, if not
fight against it. The basic and indispensable antidote to this danger
is love, the proper kind of love that comes only from God and is a
living participation of the very love of God which is the only kind of
love there is.
  
This love has the power of continuing self-renewal and
self-perpetuation, and of supporting and even going beyond our
physical and other natural powers. This is the love that will keep us
always young and vibrant, and will give us a taste of eternity while
still in time.

How to keep that love burning, how to continually feed it is a concern
we ought to cultivate in ourselves. We can be sure that we are not
engaging here in some quixotic, unrealistic adventure, since on the
part of God, everything is already given to us.

He has given us his grace in abundance, his saving doctrine, his
sacraments, the Church, the living Christian tradition, etc. The Holy
Spirit is with us. Christ has promised that he will be with us till
the end of time.

What is needed is our prompt and permanent correspondence. In this
regard, we have to realize the importance of some practical plan or
program that would help maintain our love aflame.

Certainly, we need to have time everyday for deep prayer, an intimate
conversation with God where we bring all our concerns and meditate on
God’s word so we would be in vital contact with him and his will for
us. We have to find means to keep ourselves in his presence all
throughout the day.

We need to have time to go the sacraments, especially Confession and
the Holy Eucharist. We have to wage a continuing struggle against our
weakness, temptations and sin, and to grow in the different virtues.

For sure, if our prayer and dealings with God are authentic and not
just formalistic and even hypocritical, we would always feel the urge
to immerse ourselves in the lives of others and the affairs of the
world. We would be consumed with the attitude and desire of Christ
towards all men and the world, and that is to save and not to condemn.
  
In this regard, we will feel the urge to evangelize others and the
world in general, as well as the certainty of being evangelized by
them, since God, no doubt, will speak to us through them, showing us
the concrete and finer points of his will for us.

We have to realize that no matter how dirtied and corrupted by evil
people and the things of the world are, we can always discern, if we
have faith, if we are with God himself, precious lessons and messages
that would be good to our soul.
  
This is how to fight lukewarmness and complacency. It is a matter of
filling ourselves with love that God himself gives us in abundance,
making use of a practical and practicable program that would help us
to be always with God.

It would be good if we can avail of some spiritual direction and
counseling so we can devise a plan of spiritual life that is suited to

our specific conditions.

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