Childlike Spirit and Divine Filiation – The Keys to the Kingdom of Heaven

When we were children we could not wait to grow up and become adults. We truly believed that as adults we would finally be free of parental authority, and possess an independence that enabled us to do live our lives without restrictions – freedom, as we called it. We could not wait to leave our childhood behind and enter the exciting world of adulthood. As adults we learned that life was not all fun and games, for along with the glamour and “freedom” there came responsibility, physical and emotional challenges, and the monotony of the daily routine. When the pressures mounted we sometimes wished we could return to our childhood. St. Josemaria, the founder of Opus Dei said, “Don’t try to be older. A child, always a child even when you are dying of old age. …Be a child, and when you stumble, may your father God pick you up by the hand. (The Way, excerpt from point #870.) God will always care for us, His children, whether we are three or 103.

 

God will indeed protect us but to the wise and learned of the world – those who claim to be self sufficient, Jesus said: “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of Heaven.”  

 

Thus in order to grow spiritually we must grow up and become little children. We leave behind the childish behavior of youth, and take on the childlike spirit of maturity. A childlike spirit possesses the favorable attributes of adulthood: wisdom, astuteness, perception, and intelligence, along with the trust, persistence, simplicity and innocence of children. Add to this mix humility, for it is the virtue of humility that helps us acknowledge our littleness before God. Divine Filiation is the condition by which we recognize God as our Father. We trust that He, who knows us better than we know ourselves, will always act in our best interest. His way is the best way, and his timing is always perfect.

There are times when we know that God is asking something of us, but His apparent slowness in unfolding His plan can be very trying. It is these times that we must have this Divine Filiation and live our lives with complete trust, and patience that all will be revealed in His time. Sometimes God sends us a bouquet of roses and all we need do is place them in water, but generally he sends us the seeds and relies on us to plant and cultivate the garden. The buds may be slow in coming because the plants are building a strong root system. Every life experience, be it positive or negative, if sanctified, provides the nourishment for our garden. When the first buds finally appear with their vibrant color and sweet fragrance we will know that we have cooperated with God to bring about His glorious plan for our lives.

Recommended reading:

The Way, Chapters: Spiritual Childhood, and Life of Childhood, by St. Josemaria Escriva

Friends of God: Chapter: Getting to Know God, by St. Josemaria Escriva

Christ is Passing By: Chapter: Conversion of the Children of God, by St. Josemaria Escriva

Golden Chances – Random Acts of Charity

Frequently we find ourselves in situations beyond our control that put us in the company of other people - in long lines at supermarkets or department stores, bus stations, ticket counters at airports, hospital emergency rooms, etc. How do we pass the time in such circumstances, send text messages or chat on the cell, play games on our smart phone, or read a book? Certainly these are all perfectly fine ways to pass one’s time. Perhaps though, within these seemingly ordinary occurrences, there lies a golden opportunity to perform a charitable act – that of reaching out to our neighbor. We need to take advantage of opportunities to speak to the people God has placed in our path for they are there for a reason. (Pope John Paul II always stated that there is no such thing as coincidence.) We never know a person’s needs, but God does, and He asks us to show others the same kindness that He shows us. They may be physically, emotionally or spiritually troubled and in great need of unburdening their hearts. Sometimes all they need is a smile or a few words to bring peace to their souls. We need to seize that moment because it may not present itself again. Sometimes, to overcome timidity, we need to just jump in with both feet and initiate a conversation. We do not know what kind of reception we will receive, however, people are generally very appreciative when approached.  Perchance though they resist our attention, our kindness and efforts will be most pleasing to God.

 

Should we throw caution to the wind and blindly speak to everyone we meet without assessing a given situation? Certainly not, we should always be prudent with our actions. However, if we allow, fear, shyness, anxiety, nerves, or passivity to get the better of us, we will never reach out to the others and our golden chances will slip through our fingers. 

The following words of St. Josemaria Escriva, The Founder of Opus Dei best express charity: “Charity towards our neighbor is an expression of our love of God. Accordingly, when we strive to grow in this virtue, we cannot fix any limits to our growth. The only possible measure for the love of God is to love without measure; on the one hand, because we will never be able to thank him enough for what he has done for us; and on the other, because this is exactly what God’s own love for us, his creatures, is like: it overflows without calculation or limit.” (Friends of God, Chapter: The Strength of Love  - St. Josemaria Escriva).

 

Spiritual Blindness – The Obstacle to God’s Will

Why do we chase the rainbow when the pot of gold is in our hands? It is our right and responsibility to seek the truth, however at times our all-consuming desire for personal fulfillment blinds our eyes to God’s will. Perhaps it is a need to achieve financial success or professional prestige; or a love of comfort that leads us to believe that our undertakings should be effortless; still yet it could be that our insecurities or fears are the stumbling blocks in our path. In our quest to find our truth, we unknowingly build a wall around ourselves that confines us to a spiritual and emotional prison – and in actuality, we resist the will of God that we are so desperately trying to ascertain.

God, in His great power has the ability to break down that wall that surrounds our soul. All we need do is abandon ourselves with humility and trust into His loving arms and He will show us His will. Thus in letting go of what we suppose to be our freedom, we will find our real freedom.

Remember, that Dorothy went searching for her heart’s desire over the rainbow and discovered after her tumultuous journey to Oz, that her pot of gold was in her own back yard. We do not need ruby slippers to find our way back to God. We simply need to open our hearts.

Our Lady is an exemplary model for us as she always sought, found and carried out the will of God. In this month of the Holy Rosary it is good to recite this beautiful prayer frequently with fervor for she will deliver our requests to God. St. Josemaria, the Founder of Opus Dei said, “The Holy Rosary is a powerful weapon. Use it with confidence and you’ll be amazed at the results.” (# 558, The Way.)

Revisions to Ordinary Work - Our Gift to God

Please note that I have made revisions to my previous post of October 2, 2009, Ordinary Work - Our Gift to God.

Ordinary Work – Our Gift to God

Everyone is called to work. It is part of God's divine plan. However, with the fall of Adam and Eve, sin entered the world and work assumed a different nature. Human labor may be pleasurable, stimulating, and exciting, but it also may be disagreeable, difficult, and monotonous. None-the-less work, for most people, is a necessity of life. 

Most would agree that work provides some element of satisfaction. Work, however that is performed for self-gratification gives a temporary pleasure, whereas work done for God, affords us the supreme benefit because we are earning our Heavenly reward.

The greatest gift we can give to another person is the gift of ourselves. When we give gifts to our loved ones – be they of a monetary nature, or a good deed, our desire is to make those people happy; and we put forth great effort to make our gift the best it can be. Our Father in Heaven deserves our best gift as well – that gift is our ordinary, everyday work done with love. All honest work may be made holy – that is raised to a level of sanctity and offered as a gift to God. Offering our work in this way gives us greater impetus to carry out that day-to-day work with joy. God gives us all that we need to succeed in our chosen profession. Utilizing the talents He has given us to the best of our ability allows us to give back to Him. Our work, done well with love is a most pleasing gift to God for we are giving of ourselves.

The universal call to holiness through the sanctification of one’s ordinary work is the premise of Opus Dei. It is right and fitting to share these words about human work today, on the occasion of its 81^st anniversary of its inception by the Founder, St. Josemaria Escrivia on October 2, 1928. For further information about Opus Dei, go to http://www.opusdei.org.

 

 

 

 

 

Guided by the Angels

I could not let this day pass without some further comments on our wonderful Guardian Angels whose feast we celebrate today, October 2nd.

A passage from the Book of Exodus:  The Lord says “see I am sending you an angel to go before you to guard you on your way and bring you to the place I have prepared. Be attentive to him and heed his voice. Do not rebel against him for he will not forgive your sin. My authority resides in him.”

Our angels come to us in a most unobtrusive manner, yet the words they speak are emphatically the will of God. Human beings tend to believe as truth, the obvious and forceful, over the subtle and gentle. We are inclined to disregard the latter as a whim, or a mere passing thought from our overactive imagination. Some of those thoughts may well be our own imagination, however many of them, as we come to realize after careful discernment, are indeed God’s words conveyed to us through these angelic beings. Their compelling words spoken with peacefulness and grace are real, and we are expected to listen to their message.

We should become friends with our guardian angels and confide in them as we would our most trusted friends. Although they have an intellect that far surpasses the human mind, angels cannot read our thoughts, and we must tell them what we want them to know.  They are our dearest friends for they remain with us 24/7, and will come to our aid whenever we call. Angels are immensely helpful in performing any task such as finding a parking space, studying, preparing for an exam, or expressing the words in our hearts to other souls we are trying to reach.  The human forms of communication: telephone, texting, postal mail, e-mail, and of course personal contact are all necessary, however angel mail is the most effective correspondence, as our words are delivered through divine channels  - God Himself.