Philosophy, theology and prayer

WE have to be most careful whenever we start doing philosophy and theology. These two sciences are, to me, the most important and crucial ones, because they strive to study and know the ultimate causes of things and God himself. 

 They are not just about technologies and arts which can be tackled to a large extent by our human powers alone. Obviously, the technologies, arts and sciences also need to be done in the context of prayer. Otherwise, they can go anywhere and can end up being a danger to us. 

 We have to see to it that our philosophy and theology are done always in their proper atmosphere of prayer. With prayer, we are guided by the Supreme Being himself who will enlighten us as we try to explore not only the metaphysical realities but also the spiritual and supernatural world that can give us a lot of blind spots and mysteries. 

 Let’s remember that when we pray, we enter into some conversation with God who actually tells us more than what we tell him. He guides us and shows us the reality of things in their ultimate objectivity. Without prayer, our philosophizing and theologizing would most likely be a mere exercise of speculation that more often than not would end up in some error. 

 Without prayer, the motivation of our philosophizing and theologizing would be suspect. They most likely would be driven simply by intellectual pride, arrogance, jealousy, and things of that sort, that prevent us from seeing things objectively. They end up becoming a sheer exercise in self-indulgence and ego-tripping. 

 And the usual effect of such philosophizing and theologizing would be to elicit a similar reaction of pride, arrogance, jealousy, etc. There is some kind of mirror effect involved here, a sort of vicious cycle. 

 That is why philosophizing and theologizing always need to be pursued in prayer. When we truly pray, our motives become pure. We would be driven by an earnest but humble pursuit for the truth about the ultimate causes of things and about God himself. 

 Let’s never forget that humility is what enables us to see things objectively, regardless of whether they are favorable and advantageous to us or not. St. Teresa of Avila even went to the extent of saying that humility is truth. Humility frees us from whatever conditionings we have that somehow distorts and even denies the truth. 

 A philosopher or theologian who does not pray would be a dangerous animal, because to a certain extent, he can be very convincing but at the same time wrong. He can regale us with his showy presentation of his studies and research, filled all kinds of data and information, but still ends up missing the real target. 

 A most likely sad effect of all this is that such philosophizing and theologizing would also generate the same reaction and response from their followers. That’s how many of our Godless ideologies have been produced. 

 The men behind these ideologies reprise the style of the Pharisees and scribes of the time of Christ. These leading Jews were quite knowledgeable about religion, but they did not pray as they should. And so, when finally Christ appeared to them, they could not recognize him as he was and is. In fact, they killed him. 

 We have to be wary when we dare to philosophize and theologize outside of the context of prayer, of a conversation with God, of the guiding light of faith.

That our joy may be complete

THIS was what Christ promised to give us if we are united to him, like a branch to the vine. “If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love,” he said. “I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.” (Jn 15,10-11) 

 With these words, we are clearly told where our true and complete joy will come from. It’s from Christ, from God, and not just from some earthly and temporal source. It’s a joy that we can always have in any season or weather, fair or foul. It’s a joy that transcends whatever earthly and temporal condition we may be in. Whether we are up or down, successful or defeated and lost, we can still have that joy. 

 We need to work out our true union with Christ to have this kind of joy. To be sure, Christ is already with us. We should just be with him. And it’s not difficult to be with Christ, because he is already with us always. Being the pattern of our humanity, the savior of our damaged humanity, he cannot be absent from us. It’s rather us who can dare to ignore and resist him. We have to be wary of that tendency and do something about it. 

 For this, we really have to activate our faith that, if lived well, can always give us hope, in spite of tragedies that we can encounter in life. Faith lived well also gives us the ability to love everybody, whatever the conditions may be. A faith-based love makes everything beautiful and lovable, even if by worldly standards things are bad and ugly. 

 And to realize that faith is something that is freely given to us by God should reassure us that whatever effort we make to live it will always produce its expected fruit. It is a God-given gift that is as abundant, or even more than the air we always have around. We should never hesitate to live it as best that we can. 

 It surely would be helpful if we frequently meditate on the life and example of Christ as we go through all sorts of situations in his earthly life, and especially on his passion and death where the culminating expression of peace and joy can be contemplated and imitated. 

 Obviously, what is ideal is for us to be able to assume the very identity of Christ who offers himself not only the way proper to us, nor the truth, but also the very life. (cfr. Jn 4,16) So for us to be completely one with Christ is not a gratuitous, baseless assertion. It is actually what is meant for us. And we have been given all the means for us to achieve that ideal. 

 With Christ we can manage to be happy and at peace all the time. But we have to develop the proper attitude and practices to make that ideal real. And one thing that we can do is that at the end of each day, before we retire, we should make a good examination of conscience where at the end we seek reconciliation with God, regardless of how the day went. 

 We should sleep every night in the arms of God, at peace and happy!

Be ready to leave everything behind

WE have to understand very well this particular aspect or requirement of an authentic Christian life. That’s because, most likely, our first impression of it can be misleading. To be sure, to be ready to leave everything behind does not mean that we should have no concern at all about the things of this world. We do have such concern and interest. In fact, we should. 

 But yes, to leave everything behind has been more than amply taught and commanded by Christ himself. For example, to the rich young man who wanted to be perfect, Christ told him in no unclear terms, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.” (Mt 19,21) These words obviously would give us the impression that we should possess nothing. 

 In another instance, Christ specifies what is required to be worthy of him. “He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.” (Mt 10,37) 

 Christ even uses the word “hate” to emphasize what is needed to be his disciple. “If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters--yes, even their own life--such a person cannot be my disciple.” (Lk 14,26) 

 Still in a more graphic way, Christ spells out what is involved in following him. When someone said, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father,” Jesus to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead…No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.” (Lk 9,59ff.) 

 When Christ called the apostles to follow him, these men for one reason and another left everything (relictis omnibus). Christ spelled out what is involved in following him. One has to deny himself and carry the cross. (cfr. Mt 16,24) 

 Still more, Christ said that the kingdom of God is like a treasure found in a field or when one finds a pearl of great price that would provoke one to sell all he has to buy that field or pearl. (cfr. Mt 13,44-45) 

 St. Paul lived this indication well when he said, “I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ.” (Phil 3,8) 

 But in all these citations about leaving everything behind for Christ, it does not mean that we should have no concern or interest in the things of this world. That’s because the things of this world are precisely the means, the occasion, the instruments we have to use to show our faith, hope and love for God and for others. 

 That is why Christ in his priestly prayer before his passion and death said, “My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of it.” (Jn 17,15-16) 

 What is clear is that while being in the world, we should be detached from the things of the world. Our heart should be completely with God. This is what is meant by being ready to leave everything behind for Christ. And with God, we would have everything else actually!