I BELIEVE these are skills that are
urgently needed these
days. With so many things competing for our attention, we need to know
which ones we ought to give priority or which ones are truly God’s
will for us. We cannot deny that there are many things that can look
like they come from God but are not.
We cannot be naïve and just accept things as they come. We
need to check if the spirit behind anything that involves us comes
from God or not. We cannot deny that there are many things can look
good but actually are dangerous to us.
In this, we have received enough warnings from Sacred
Scripture. “Beloved,” St. John, for example, in his first letter tells
us, “do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether
they are of God; for many false prophets have gone out into the
world.” (4,1)
There are many kinds of spirits roaming around the world,
and we have to learn how to discern them. There is the spirit of God,
the spirit of Christ as opposed to the antichrist. There is also the
evil spirit, and the spirit of the world that is dominated by the evil
one. There is also the spirit of the flesh.
St. John was explicit as to which spirit is proper to us.
“By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit which confesses that
Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, and every spirit which
does not confess Jesus is not of God. This is the spirit of
antichrist, of which you heard that it was coming, and now it is in
the world already.” (1 Jn 4,2-3)
St. Paul distinguished between the fruits of the Spirit of
God and the works of the flesh dominated by the evil spirit. The
former include love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness,
faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. (cfr Gal 5,22-23)
The latter include fornication, impurity, licentiousness,
idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, anger, selfishness,
dissension, party spirit, envy, drunkenness, carousing. (cfr Gal
5,19-21)
To be able to sift and discern an ocean of things
properly, we need to be exert extreme prudence. Prudence
is actually a very important virtue. It’s one of the cardinal virtues
to which all other human virtues are hinged. It enables us to view and
judge things properly and to act accordingly. It makes us plan things
well.
We just have to be more sensitive to what would comprise
its essential part that should not change, and its incidental part
that could change depending on circumstances and other relevant
factors. It’s important that we be clear about this, so we would not
get lost especially during these very dynamic, technology-driven
times.
Prudence, of course, presumes a certain hierarchy of
values that we should respect, uphold and defend. It should be vitally
connected with wisdom that in the end connects us with God and all
others, as well as all things in the world, through love and truth.
We have to make sure that our prudence is not only
motivated by secondary criteria, like efficiency, effectiveness,
practicality, profitability, convenience, etc. If it does not lead us
to a closer relation with God, with others and the rest of the world,
then it would not be true prudence.
For this virtue to grow, we need to meditate on the word
and very life of Christ, “the way, the truth and the life” for us. To
meditate is the serious business of reflecting more deeply on the word
of God, allowing the impulses of one’s faith and piety to go winding
and branching into considerations that can eventually lead to
contemplation.
This kind of prayer is, I think, what we of this modern,
fast-paced age need to learn well. From what we can gather, we are
wired for this activity. We are not just for action. Though often
frustrated, our spiritual DNA intends us to meditate and contemplate.
This gives us a sense of anchor and root, a sense of
direction that can bring us where we truly belong—communion with God
and with others. It provides us glimpses of the complete view of
things, where the eternal becomes current and vice-versa.
When we have this system of meditation and contemplation,
then it would be easy for us to sift through all the elements that
come our way and discern the will of God for us.
We need to do everything so that this practice and habit
of meditating and contemplating develops even as we immerse ourselves
in the increasingly complicated world of ours.
days. With so many things competing for our attention, we need to know
which ones we ought to give priority or which ones are truly God’s
will for us. We cannot deny that there are many things that can look
like they come from God but are not.
We cannot be naïve and just accept things as they come. We
need to check if the spirit behind anything that involves us comes
from God or not. We cannot deny that there are many things can look
good but actually are dangerous to us.
In this, we have received enough warnings from Sacred
Scripture. “Beloved,” St. John, for example, in his first letter tells
us, “do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether
they are of God; for many false prophets have gone out into the
world.” (4,1)
There are many kinds of spirits roaming around the world,
and we have to learn how to discern them. There is the spirit of God,
the spirit of Christ as opposed to the antichrist. There is also the
evil spirit, and the spirit of the world that is dominated by the evil
one. There is also the spirit of the flesh.
St. John was explicit as to which spirit is proper to us.
“By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit which confesses that
Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, and every spirit which
does not confess Jesus is not of God. This is the spirit of
antichrist, of which you heard that it was coming, and now it is in
the world already.” (1 Jn 4,2-3)
St. Paul distinguished between the fruits of the Spirit of
God and the works of the flesh dominated by the evil spirit. The
former include love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness,
faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. (cfr Gal 5,22-23)
The latter include fornication, impurity, licentiousness,
idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, anger, selfishness,
dissension, party spirit, envy, drunkenness, carousing. (cfr Gal
5,19-21)
To be able to sift and discern an ocean of things
properly, we need to be exert extreme prudence. Prudence
is actually a very important virtue. It’s one of the cardinal virtues
to which all other human virtues are hinged. It enables us to view and
judge things properly and to act accordingly. It makes us plan things
well.
We just have to be more sensitive to what would comprise
its essential part that should not change, and its incidental part
that could change depending on circumstances and other relevant
factors. It’s important that we be clear about this, so we would not
get lost especially during these very dynamic, technology-driven
times.
Prudence, of course, presumes a certain hierarchy of
values that we should respect, uphold and defend. It should be vitally
connected with wisdom that in the end connects us with God and all
others, as well as all things in the world, through love and truth.
We have to make sure that our prudence is not only
motivated by secondary criteria, like efficiency, effectiveness,
practicality, profitability, convenience, etc. If it does not lead us
to a closer relation with God, with others and the rest of the world,
then it would not be true prudence.
For this virtue to grow, we need to meditate on the word
and very life of Christ, “the way, the truth and the life” for us. To
meditate is the serious business of reflecting more deeply on the word
of God, allowing the impulses of one’s faith and piety to go winding
and branching into considerations that can eventually lead to
contemplation.
This kind of prayer is, I think, what we of this modern,
fast-paced age need to learn well. From what we can gather, we are
wired for this activity. We are not just for action. Though often
frustrated, our spiritual DNA intends us to meditate and contemplate.
This gives us a sense of anchor and root, a sense of
direction that can bring us where we truly belong—communion with God
and with others. It provides us glimpses of the complete view of
things, where the eternal becomes current and vice-versa.
When we have this system of meditation and contemplation,
then it would be easy for us to sift through all the elements that
come our way and discern the will of God for us.
We need to do everything so that this practice and habit
of meditating and contemplating develops even as we immerse ourselves
in the increasingly complicated world of ours.
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