A truly love-inspired fidelity

WE need to re-examine our spirit of fidelity because with

all the rapid new developments around demanding us to be dynamic,

open-minded and versatile in the way we live our commitments, it would

be very easy for us to get confused and lost.

            Yes, to be faithful, we have to stick to our commitments

regardless of the changing circumstances and conditions. It is not, of

course, a rigid and mindless kind of fidelity. It has to be alive and

active, knowing how to flow with the times.

            It has to be a fidelity that does not simply follow the

letter of the commitments blindly, but goes to fathom the spirit

behind the letter. To be sure, the spirit is always alive and active,

while the letter tends to freeze things to facilitate understanding.

But we should realize that our understanding of our commitment will

always be a work in progress. It can always go deeper and broader.

            Having said all that, we also cannot deny that a very safe

way to live a truly love-inspired fidelity is always to stick to the

letter of the commitment. In fact, any spiritual deepening and

broadening of our understanding of our commitments should be launched

from the level of the letter.

            This may mean that there are old and traditional ways in

which some aspects of the commitment are lived that should be

maintained, even if there are many other legitimate new and innovative

ways of living those aspects of the commitment. This should not be

regarded as being too traditional or to rigid.

            The important thing to remember is that whatever way one

lives some aspects of his commitments should be inspired by a genuine

love for God and for those for whom the commitments are made. It is

this kind of love which will inspire one to submit himself to certain

conditions even if other legitimate conditions are made available.

            Thus, for example, a person may still choose to spend his

holidays with his family at home even if the possibility of spending

them with others and in other places is made available with amenities

and privileges provided, and the family actually would not mind. For

him, spending the holidays with the family has priority over other

possibilities. And that would be a greater manifestation of a

love-inspired fidelity to his family.

            Given the rapidity and multiplicity of the new

developments, we should find ways of how to be faithful to our

commitments with great prudence. While our fidelity should also be

innovative and creative, it should also know when to stick to certain

traditions and old ways of doing things.

            We have to be careful because we always have the tendency

to get easily carried away and intoxicated by what is new. If we are

not careful, we can easily complicate our life unnecessarily, since

the new things usually bring with them many other things that we may

not know yet or that we may still  be unable to handle properly.

  

            This, of course, does not mean that we do not consider the

new things altogether. We just have to be prudent with them, seeing to

it that these new things and new ways would truly be consistent to our

spirit of fidelity and may even enhance it more.

            Prudence, of course, may require that we give this issue a

lot of thought and consideration, even going to the extent of

consulting some people who we believe can help us in this regard. As

much as possible, we should avoid the trial-and-error method which

should only be resorted to as a last option.

            A truly love-inspired fidelity would know how to blend the

old and the new, the traditional and the innovations. It would know

what to stick and what to let go.