A working, not vacuous, piety

LET'S see to it that we have a working piety that
continues to vibrate 24/7 and in whatever situation we may find
ourselves in. It should be able to tackle all kinds of predicaments
and, in fact, is nourished, not undermined, by them.

            We should try to avoid what may be considered as a
fair-weather-only type of piety, or one that seeks only to achieve a
feel-good effect, or one that is good only on purely spiritual matters
but is helpless when facing down-to-earth realities.

            We should try to avoid a piety that functions only when
one is in church, or in a certain mood, or on some special occasions
like death of a relative or a calamity, etc. All these are forms of
false, useless piety. We need a real piety that genuinely comes from
the heart and that breathes with every breath we make, whatever the
conditions are.

            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 genuine 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 tend to 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.

          Whatever the condition we find ourselves at a given moment,
let us just start to go through the process of learning certain
practices of piety. These practices of piety can be spending time in
prayer and meditation, going to the sacraments, especially Mass,
communion and confession, participating in some collective means of
formation and piety, etc.

            No matter how awkward we may feel at the beginning, let’s
just try to persevere. Virtues are usually attained by way of
discipline and self-denial. In time, we will understand more and
appreciate better the wisdom and beauty of these practices.

            Also, we should never think lightly of the little things
that effectively begin and develop our piety, like looking and
admiring pictures and images of our Lord and the saints, saying or
singing spontaneous ejaculatory prayers that spring directly from our
heart, offering flowers and other signs of devotion, including
dancing, to our Lord and the saints, etc.

            Not unusually do little things help in fanning the flame
of love alive and bursting. This is something we should always keep in
mind, because our tendency is to be fascinated only when big and
extraordinary occasions and events come our way.

            While there is need to be discreet and natural about these
practices given our human condition, we should see to it that we are
actually oozing with love and affection for God and the saints.

            This is, of course, a personal affair, and so let’s allow
our conscience to tell us about the extent and intensity of these
practices. It’s in our conscience that we can hear the voice of God,
who always intervenes in our life and tells us what and how to do
things. It’s there also where we bring our personal considerations to
him.

            Let’s take advantage of our usual actions to keep our
piety alive, like attaching some ejaculatory prayer or pious thought
to things like whenever we open or close a door, climb up or down the
stair, or when we take a shower or fix ourselves in front of the
mirror, etc.

            These practices should be second nature to us. With our
current general mentality, they may be considered as a little bit
exaggerated, but they actually are not. These practices would only
show that our soul and our faith are alive and kicking.

            Let’s try to put passion into our life of piety. That
would make our relation with God and everybody else more integral,
more completely human. That would take us out of the dangers of
intellectualism and spiritualism, caricatures of the proper use of our
intelligence and will that will need the full complement of our
feelings and passions. But neither should we fall into emotionalism.