Avoid over-familiarity

DURING the proximate preparation for my priestly

ordination, an idea that was repeatedly hammered ‘ad nauseam’ on us,

the ‘ordinandi,’ was that we should never get accustomed to the sacred

things, especially the celebration of the Holy Mass. Our formators

told us that we should celebrate each Mass as if it were for the first

time.

  

            That immediately reminded me of what the now Saint Mother

Teresa once said: “Celebrate this Mass as if it is your first Mass,

your last Mass and your only Mass.” Opus Dei founder, St. Josemaria

Escriva, said something similar in so many words and showed it in the

way he said each Mass. What solemnity he generated every time he said

Mass!

  

            Our usual problem is precisely that we get easily

over-familiar with the sacred things. We tend to take for granted the

many blessings we have. Not only do we not count our blessings, we

often complain that we do not have enough. We can then elicit those

reproaching words of Christ to his townmates: “A prophet is not

without honor, except in his own country.”

  

            Instead of being amazed and thankful for having among them

not only a very special person but the very son of God, Christ’s

townmates found him too much for them, and were in fact scandalized by

him. That is why Christ refused to do many miracles there.

  

            This is a very common danger to all of us, and is at

bottom a result of letting ourselves be simply guided by our senses,

or feelings and our other ways of human estimation, without the

guidance of our faith that should lead us to develop the appropriate

piety.

  

            We have to be more aware of this danger of over

familiarity and install the necessary defenses against it. More than

that, we have to aggressively cultivate the art of always being amazed

at God and at all his works. That should be the proper state for us to

be in.

  

            We have to understand, though, that this abiding state of

amazement that we should try to develop is simply not a matter of

sensations. Of course, it would be good if we can always feel amazed

and in awe. But given the limitations of our bodily organism, we

cannot expect that to happen all the time.

  

            The ideal abiding state of amazement is more a matter of

conviction, of something spiritual, moral and supernatural. It should

be the result of grace that is corresponded to generously and

heroically by us.

  

            It is a state of amazement that sooner or later, of

course, will have some external manifestations like an aura of

serenity and confidence even in the midst of great trials and

suffering. It will most likely show itself in the lilt in one’s voice,

optimism in his reactions to events, a smile, a warm word of praise

and encouragement to others, etc.

  

            To be sure, God will always give us this grace. The

problematic area is our correspondence to that grace. In this regard,

we should try to pray and meditate on God’s word. Let’s see to it that

we get to relish the spirit behind the word of God as presented to us

in Bible.

  

            We have to be wary of our tendency to go through God’s

word in a mechanical way. We can produce the sound, we can use the

word in some sensible and intelligible way, but still miss the very

spirit of the word. We can still miss God and ignore his will, because

our heart is still not in God’s word.

  

            Besides, we need to develop a deepening sense of total

dependence on God. Let’s see to it that our talents, faculties and

powers, our achievements do not blunt, but rather sharpen this sense

of dependence.