The proper accepting attitude

IN our life, in all our relations with others, in all situations and conditions that we can encounter, we have to learn how to be properly accepting of things without forgetting what needs to be done for everything to be how it should be. It’s a tough balance to make, but we should try our best to pursue it. This will unavoidably involve some tension for which we should be prepared. 

 And the secret is simply to follow the example of Christ. He knew how to deal with everyone and everything with patience, understanding and compassion and yet without compromising the truth of things. In him, the exclusivity of truth and the inclusivity of charity were perfectly blended. Of course, we have to understand that it would unavoidably suffering and ultimately death. 

 Part of a good accepting attitude is the ability to be flexible and resilient without getting confused and lost about what is absolutely right or wrong, true or false, real or unreal. We have to know how to adapt ourselves properly to different kinds of people and conditions. 

 This would presume that we have a firm grounding on what is absolutely right and wrong, good and evil. And this could only mean that we believe in God, in a Creator who is the original author of all things in this world. He is also the one that takes care of everything all the way to the end of time and of the world. 

 Yes, a good accepting attitude would include the firm belief that God takes care of everything through his constant providence over all his creation. He knows what to do in any condition that we and the world would get into. With him, we would know what and how to let go of certain things and what and how to hold on. 

 For this, we have to be very clear about our constant and ultimate goal which is something spiritual and supernatural. We have to understand that this goal transcends our earthly and natural condition, and that in pursuing it we would always need the supernatural help of grace from God. We cannot hack it using our human efforts alone. 

 And we also have to be clear that the things of this world, whatever and however they are, whether good or bad to us, favorable or not to us, only serve as a means, occasion, reason and an instrument to pursue our ultimate goal. We should not be unduly immersed in them as to be trapped by them. 

 That is why we have to learn how to be recollected and contemplative in the middle of the world. This is the proper condition for us. While here on earth, our mind and heart should somehow already be in heaven with God. And this condition is not impossible to attain since God is always with us. All we need to do is to learn to pray and to live out as fully as possible the divine gifts of faith, hope and charity. 

 For this, we cannot exaggerate the importance of learning really how to pray. Only then would we know how to be immersed in the things of this world without being trapped by them. 

 In this way, we would know how to be accepting of anything in this life while at the same time able to make the necessary adjustments and corrections and to move on to pursue our ultimate goal.

“Fiat mihi secundum verbum tuum”

THAT’S “Be it done to me according to your word,” the response of Mary to the Archangel Gabriel who told her that she was going to conceive the very Son of God in her womb. (cfr. Lk 1,26-38) She at first asked, “How shall this be done, because I know not man?” But when she was told how it was to take place, she gave that response which is an act of supreme faith, and with that God became man. 

 We should try to echo the same response of Mary, since we cannot doubt, if we have a working faith, that the Son of the Most High would also like to be born in us, since we are actually patterned after him. As God’s image and likeness, we are supposed to share the very same nature and life of God. And we can only achieve that if we have the same faith that Mary had in responding to God’s invitation to be the mother of Christ. 

 Remember what Christ once said: “Whoever is not with me is against me. Whoever does not gather with me scatters.” (Lk 11,23) It’s very clear that we are supposed to be so united with Christ, so identified with him, that he and us can be considered simply as one. We are meant to assume the very identity of Christ. 

 We need to process this truth of our faith about ourselves very slowly, because it will obviously astound us to think that we are supposed to be one with Christ. Who, me, one with Christ? We most likely would be tempted to say, tell it to the Marines! 

 But that’s just the naked truth about us, whether we like it or not. We cannot be any other if we just bother also to know why it is so. An expression that is relevant to this matter is ‘alter Christus,’ another Christ. And it’s worthwhile to know what it is all about. 

 We are supposed to be ‘alter Christus,’ the goal and ideal that is meant for us, though we need also to do our part, free beings as are, to achieve that status. God, our Creator and Father, wants us to be that way, though he does not impose it on us without our consent that should also be shown with deeds and not just with intentions or words. 

 We are supposed to be ‘alter Christus’ simply because, if we have been created in the image and likeness of God, and Christ is the Son of God who is the perfect image and likeness that God has of himself, then we can only conclude that we have to be like Christ. 

 We need to do everything to pursue that goal of assuming the very identity of Christ. For this, a strong faith is needed. And it should give rise to the appropriate action on our part, so that little by little we think, speak and do as Christ would think, speak and do. We should react to the different situations of our life the way Christ would. 

 This can involve a number of things. We have to know more and more about Christ by reading, studying and meditating on the gospel and the other sources. We have to avail ourselves of the sacraments. We need to continually develop and grow in the virtues to slowly become more and more like Christ, etc. 

 Hopefully, at Christ’s birth on Christmas, let’s see if we can allow Christ to be born in us too! He wants it. We should also want it!

Making Christ relevant to our times

THANKS be to God, we can still be considered as a strongly Christian country. Especially in this Lenten season we can see churches filled with people praying and doing all kinds of penitential practices. Yes, there are also those who take advantage of the Lenten break to go to the beaches, but on the whole the strong faith and piety of the people cannot be denied. 

 Just the same, we should always feel the need to further strengthen our faith in Christ. Now that we are facing rapid and confusing developments, complicated challenges that can test our Christian consistency, we cannot afford to keep our faith in Christ stay at its current state. It has to grow, deepen and broaden. 

 Strengthening our faith in Christ can mean many things. But one clear way we can do that, considering the current conditions of our world, is for us to dedicate time to study, reflection and reading. This, of course, will be a challenge, as time is scarce. But we can always find time if we are truly interested in strengthening our faith. It’s a matter of setting priorities. 

 Let’s just see to it that our study, reflection and reading about the current developments are motivated by our love for Christ which actually is equivalent to our love for others, whoever and however they may be. We have to convince ourselves that it is only with Christ that we can be truly updated with the new developments, and able to handle them properly. 

 Obviously, we have to know what to study, reflect on and read, since there are many materials around and not all of them are good or relevant. So much has been published and not everything is valuable and useful. It is important to know how to choose and to consult others about what is worth reading. 

 Pope St. John Paul II once said in this regard: “In my reading and in my studies, I always tried to achieve a harmony between faith, reason, and the heart. These are not separate areas, but are profoundly interconnected, each giving life to the other.” (JP II, Rise, Let us be on our way.) 

 Pope Francis also offered this idea about the importance of literature which he considers as “essential for believers who sincerely seek to enter into dialogue with the culture of their times, or simply with the lives and experiences of other people.” 

 Strengthening our faith in Christ such that it can effectively tackle the challenges of the times definitely would require us to continue reading and studying. The habit of reading has many advantages. 

 Among them, it helps us to express ourselves better and acquire the “gift of tongues.” It helps us acquire a wider vocabulary and develop broader intellectual abilities. It stimulates our imagination and creativity. It also improves our ability to concentrate, reducing the levels of cognitive decline and calming stress and anxiety. 

 By strengthening our faith in Christ in this way, we can effectively animate with the Christian spirit the many sectors in our society, like politics, business and entertainment, that are showing signs of going to the dogs. We can truly sanctify the world and direct it to its proper goal. 

 We have to help one another in this important need of ours to make our faith in Christ relevant to the current conditions of our world.