IN our life, we always would be in need of some focus
because we have goals to reach, tasks to perform, duties to carry out.
It’s good that we learn how to gather and mobilize all our powers and
resources to achieve the goals set for us.
But we just have to make sure that our need for focus does
not detract us from our equally important need to be open to things in
general and to learn how to deal with the mystery that always shrouds
God’s continuing providence over us.
No matter how legitimate, important and urgent these goals
are, we should not forget that there are many other things that we
also should give due attention. Let’s never forget that the goals we
are pursuing are always part of a much bigger picture that we should
try not to lose sight of.
These are, at least, two dimensions of our life that we
have to learn how to put together in harmony. These are but part of
the consequences of our other dual dimensions in life, like the
natural and supernatural, material and spiritual, temporal and
eternal, etc.
And so, a lot of reviewing, adjusting, adapting and
reinventing has to be done, always assuming a sporty attitude so as to
be able to move on, whatever the situation may be in a given moment.
We should avoid being naïve to think that things would just go fine in
some automatic way.
Our usual problem is that with all the pressures bearing
on us today, we can tend to be so focused with our immediate
objectives that we end up being short-sighted and narrow-minded, even
rigid, bigoted and self-righteous.
This is a danger that we should be most aware of and
careful about. In fact, it has become a common and “clear and present
danger.” It’s a danger that could be a corollary of what Christ
himself warned us: “What does it profit a man if he gains the whole
world but loses his soul?” (Mt 16,26)
Yes, it can happen that we can succeed in attaining our
immediate goals, but neglecting the more important things in life.
Thus, we can have a replay of what Christ said about some critical
leading Jews of his time: “You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but
swallow a camel.” (Mt 23,24)
But how can we have focus and at the same time be open to
things in life in general that can be full of mysteries? Again, we can
have many ideas about how to go about this task, but the ultimate
answer can be no other than to be very vitally identified with Christ.
He is the very epitome of one who has perfect focus in
life and yet open to how things were on the ground and, most
especially, to the very will of his Father. And so, once again, we
cannot overemphasize the need for prayers, for sacrifices, for study
of the doctrine and recourse of the sacraments, developing virtues,
etc., for these are the means to live our life with Christ.
More concretely and directly, we need to see to it that we
always have rectitude of intention in whatever we are doing, guarding
and defending that rectitude with all the power we have got, so that
even if we may not be able to read God’s will perfectly, we can still
be with him and manage to follow his ways that often can be mysterious
and unpleasant to us.
Obviously, the ideal is for us to be able to promptly
discern and second God’s promptings to us, because we can presume that
God is actually always intervening in our lives. There is no moment
when he is indifferent to our situation.
Given the temper of the times when we are exposed to so
many pressures and many other seductive distractions, we have to see
to it that we intensify our rectitude of intention before we work or
start a project or embark on an excursions, etc.
We have to see to it that God is the abiding focus even if
we have many alternating secondary foci. Rectitude of intentions means
all our thoughts, words and actions are meant to give glory to God and
to serve others.
That way, we would at least be aware of many other things.
We can maintain a proper hierarchy of priorities and stick to it
without getting swayed by what clearly are distractions.
We need to devise a concrete strategy of how to tackle the
distractions effectively, since they indeed can be come to us in a
very attractive, oftentimes irresistible way.
because we have goals to reach, tasks to perform, duties to carry out.
It’s good that we learn how to gather and mobilize all our powers and
resources to achieve the goals set for us.
But we just have to make sure that our need for focus does
not detract us from our equally important need to be open to things in
general and to learn how to deal with the mystery that always shrouds
God’s continuing providence over us.
No matter how legitimate, important and urgent these goals
are, we should not forget that there are many other things that we
also should give due attention. Let’s never forget that the goals we
are pursuing are always part of a much bigger picture that we should
try not to lose sight of.
These are, at least, two dimensions of our life that we
have to learn how to put together in harmony. These are but part of
the consequences of our other dual dimensions in life, like the
natural and supernatural, material and spiritual, temporal and
eternal, etc.
And so, a lot of reviewing, adjusting, adapting and
reinventing has to be done, always assuming a sporty attitude so as to
be able to move on, whatever the situation may be in a given moment.
We should avoid being naïve to think that things would just go fine in
some automatic way.
Our usual problem is that with all the pressures bearing
on us today, we can tend to be so focused with our immediate
objectives that we end up being short-sighted and narrow-minded, even
rigid, bigoted and self-righteous.
This is a danger that we should be most aware of and
careful about. In fact, it has become a common and “clear and present
danger.” It’s a danger that could be a corollary of what Christ
himself warned us: “What does it profit a man if he gains the whole
world but loses his soul?” (Mt 16,26)
Yes, it can happen that we can succeed in attaining our
immediate goals, but neglecting the more important things in life.
Thus, we can have a replay of what Christ said about some critical
leading Jews of his time: “You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but
swallow a camel.” (Mt 23,24)
But how can we have focus and at the same time be open to
things in life in general that can be full of mysteries? Again, we can
have many ideas about how to go about this task, but the ultimate
answer can be no other than to be very vitally identified with Christ.
He is the very epitome of one who has perfect focus in
life and yet open to how things were on the ground and, most
especially, to the very will of his Father. And so, once again, we
cannot overemphasize the need for prayers, for sacrifices, for study
of the doctrine and recourse of the sacraments, developing virtues,
etc., for these are the means to live our life with Christ.
More concretely and directly, we need to see to it that we
always have rectitude of intention in whatever we are doing, guarding
and defending that rectitude with all the power we have got, so that
even if we may not be able to read God’s will perfectly, we can still
be with him and manage to follow his ways that often can be mysterious
and unpleasant to us.
Obviously, the ideal is for us to be able to promptly
discern and second God’s promptings to us, because we can presume that
God is actually always intervening in our lives. There is no moment
when he is indifferent to our situation.
Given the temper of the times when we are exposed to so
many pressures and many other seductive distractions, we have to see
to it that we intensify our rectitude of intention before we work or
start a project or embark on an excursions, etc.
We have to see to it that God is the abiding focus even if
we have many alternating secondary foci. Rectitude of intentions means
all our thoughts, words and actions are meant to give glory to God and
to serve others.
That way, we would at least be aware of many other things.
We can maintain a proper hierarchy of priorities and stick to it
without getting swayed by what clearly are distractions.
We need to devise a concrete strategy of how to tackle the
distractions effectively, since they indeed can be come to us in a
very attractive, oftentimes irresistible way.
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