GIVEN our nature and our condition,
we have to understand
that our piety should not just be a purely spiritual affair. It should
also be expressed in the flesh, with our senses—eyes, ears,
touch—helping in developing and sustaining it.
We can readily see this in our natural filial piety toward
our parents, for example. We have all sorts of practices and customs
to express that piety. We kiss our parents or make “mano po” every
time we arrive or leave home. We keep their pictures in our wallets or
in our rooms. We just don’t keep our love and respect for them in the
mind.
Our piety has to correspond as much as possible to the
fullness of our nature and condition. That correspondence will make
our piety more genuine, abiding and effective. That will also help
protect us from the danger of temptations, distractions, sins and
scandals.
Especially these days, when our senses are constantly
bombarded with sensual images and messages, with all kinds of
vulgarities and profanities, it is urgent that we deliberately train
our senses to be actively engaged with the proper object of our life.
And that can only be God and that we learn how to love
properly through them, not allowing our love to deteriorate to merely
animal urges. We have to understand that things enter us ordinarily
through the senses first, and that therefore the proper education of
our senses comprises one of the more immediate needs of our times.
Of course, we have to learn how to develop this particular
aspect of our piety. For sure, it should not just be a purely external
affair, done more for show or appearance. It has to be vitally united
to the convictions of our faith. Our senses should be connected to our
reason and to our faith.
That’s why we have to pray hard and to importune our Lord
to give us more grace, more strength and light, so our senses can
function properly. For those who find it hard to pray, then let’s pray
for them, and wage a continuing apostolate of doctrine and catechesis.
If we ourselves find it hard to pray, then let’s ask
others to pray for us. In the meantime, let’s try to study the
doctrine of our faith assiduously and 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.
that our piety should not just be a purely spiritual affair. It should
also be expressed in the flesh, with our senses—eyes, ears,
touch—helping in developing and sustaining it.
We can readily see this in our natural filial piety toward
our parents, for example. We have all sorts of practices and customs
to express that piety. We kiss our parents or make “mano po” every
time we arrive or leave home. We keep their pictures in our wallets or
in our rooms. We just don’t keep our love and respect for them in the
mind.
Our piety has to correspond as much as possible to the
fullness of our nature and condition. That correspondence will make
our piety more genuine, abiding and effective. That will also help
protect us from the danger of temptations, distractions, sins and
scandals.
Especially these days, when our senses are constantly
bombarded with sensual images and messages, with all kinds of
vulgarities and profanities, it is urgent that we deliberately train
our senses to be actively engaged with the proper object of our life.
And that can only be God and that we learn how to love
properly through them, not allowing our love to deteriorate to merely
animal urges. We have to understand that things enter us ordinarily
through the senses first, and that therefore the proper education of
our senses comprises one of the more immediate needs of our times.
Of course, we have to learn how to develop this particular
aspect of our piety. For sure, it should not just be a purely external
affair, done more for show or appearance. It has to be vitally united
to the convictions of our faith. Our senses should be connected to our
reason and to our faith.
That’s why we have to pray hard and to importune our Lord
to give us more grace, more strength and light, so our senses can
function properly. For those who find it hard to pray, then let’s pray
for them, and wage a continuing apostolate of doctrine and catechesis.
If we ourselves find it hard to pray, then let’s ask
others to pray for us. In the meantime, let’s try to study the
doctrine of our faith assiduously and 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.
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