Be Joyful in the Good

 “Something I constantly notice is that unembarrassed joy has become rarer. Joy today is increasingly saddled with moral and ideological burdens, so to speak. When someone rejoices, he is afraid of offending against solidarity with the many people who suffer. I don't have any right to rejoice, people think, in a world where there is so much misery, so much injustice.

I can understand that. There is a moral attitude at work here. But this attitude is nonetheless wrong. The loss of joy does not make the world better - and, conversely, refusing joy for the sake of suffering does not help those who suffer. The contrary is true. The world needs people who discover the good, who rejoice in it and thereby derive the impetus and courage to do good. Joy, then, does not break with solidarity. When it is the right kind of joy, when it is not egotistic, when it comes from the perception of the good, then it wants to communicate itself, and it gets passed on. In this connection, it always strikes me that in the poor neighborhoods of, say, South America, one sees many more laughing happy people than among us. Obviously, despite all their misery, they still have the perception of the good to which they cling and in which they can find encouragement and strength.

In this sense we have a new need for that primordial trust which ultimately only faith can give. That the world is basically good, that God is there and is good. That it is good to live and to be a human being. This results, then, in the courage to rejoice, which in turn becomes commitment to making sure that other people, too, can rejoice and receive good news.”

― Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI

A Dangerous World

I just finished reading The Screwtape Letters, and so lately I've been thinking a lot about the struggle of the human will between good and evil. As Screwtape writes in one of his letters, God has created a truly "dangerous world" - a world in which "moral issues really come to the point.”

Screwtape is right, for God did make the world dangerous when he gave us free will. Free will allows us to fully appreciate God's goodness through a choice, but we can also make the choice to go in the opposite direction and walk away from Him. Each of us has been given the ability to make decisions that will affect our souls for eternity - and this can be a terrifying thing to ponder. But isn't it this very danger that makes goodness itself beautiful? For how can we fully appreciate goodness without the existence of evil? How can we see beauty without there being ugliness? How can we recognize light without darkness? There are endless examples of this intriguing truth. Our ability to discern and make choices may be dangerous, but it is this very danger that makes the reality of life all the more beautiful.

Discoveries

I've had quite the year. It's been a journey into discovering myself on a deeper level than I have ever before. Ultimately, it's been in Him that I've been finding myself. With the help of His grace, my faith has been, slowly but surely, strengthening. I think that the moment I really started to understand this was when I came back from the Peru mission trip last August. It was a trip that I can only feebly attempt to describe in words. It was an experience that wove this rich fabric in my soul, filled with intricate designs, embroidered by His grace. My eyes opened to witness a world I had always known existed, but was afraid to enter into. I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to touch the Peruvian people's lives, and in turn, have them touch my life in a way I never knew was possible. The people in Piura have little material things, and yet the love in their hearts - the love they uphold for their family and community - gave them so, so much.

On my flights coming home from the mission trip, I remember having this burning desire within me to stay in Piura, and to live amongst the poor there. I didn't want to come back home to North America - a lost, materialistic nation governed by narcissism and greed. But then, one day, I happened across some words of Blessed Mother Teresa's:

"Stay where you are. Find your own Calcutta. Find the sick, the suffering, and the lonely right there where you are — in your own homes and in your own families, in your workplaces and in your schools. You can find Calcutta all over the world, if you have the eyes to see. Everywhere, wherever you go, you find people who are unwanted, unloved, uncared for, just rejected by society — completely forgotten, completely left alone."

Find your own Calcutta. Upon reading these words, I knew, with a sudden urgentness, that I am called to stay right where I am. Perhaps, some day, I will again journey out to the third-world as a missionary, if He wills it. However, for now, I know that it is here that He wants me to spread the glory of His Word. Here, in a country starved of Love; or rather, a country that has starved itself of Love.

The Dream

She felt so empty - a vast, stagnant pit lay deep within her soul. She knew not how to rid herself of it - how to fill it with the simple joy of her childhood that now only lingered in her memory with a sweet fondness. She knew not what to change, for she had already achieved all the world's high expectations of success. She had always been among the smartest in her classes, and the initials behind her name certainly reflected her intelligence. She had become quite wealthy, and her social standing in society was high. Single-handedly she had raised her one child, who was becoming a confident and ambitious young woman, aiming for all her mother's achievements.

She had all this, and yet something was still missing. She felt its absence, for it was nudging her mind, her conscience - and she knew that there had to be more to her existence. The city seemed to be crowding her mind - all of its noise, lights and distractions suddenly felt unbearable. She couldn't focus on the inner voice which kept trying to speak to her, the voice that was so desperate for her attention. She knew she wouldn't find peace until she took the time to listen to it.

She drove out of the city, left her car by the side of the road, and walked out onto a forgotten trail that wound through the trees. The breeze of the air felt so refreshing on her face. As she walked further, she began to hear flowing water somewhere to her left. Stepping a little ways off the path, she found a small river, with water more clear than any she had seen in a long time. A childhood memory came into her mind, of when she had been playing with her little brother. They were wading in a stream, splashing water at each other, and laughing until their stomachs hurt. At the memory, a childish smile spread over her face, and she quickly pulled off her socks and shoes. Sitting on the river bank, she dropped her feet into the water, splashing herself a little. Its coldness hit her like a slap in the face - and her senses felt more awake and more alive than they had ever felt in a long time.

Lying down on the moss behind her, she sighed, smiled again, and closed her eyes. She began to doze, her mind drifting off into subconsciousness, and she started dreaming. In her dream, she was standing in the middle of the river, looking up into the bright sky. She fell to her knees, lifted her arms upwards, and cried out, "What is it I'm doing, that isn't right? There's a void in my heart, and it's wanting to be filled. Lead me, save me. Give me your grace." The most beautiful feelings and graces proceeded to flow into her and around her: they were like a mirage of radiant colours, colours which she had never seen before. The colours spoke of joy and simplicity, forgiveness and mercy. Seeing these made her know, with utter certainty, that she was loved, fiercely loved. And she also knew, somehow, that it had always been so, even if she hadn't realized it.

She woke up, feeling confused, and remembered nothing of the dream. As the day's light was beginning to fade, she quickly put on her shoes and socks, and hurried back to her car. Once she arrived back at the city, she parked her car on a street to run a few errands. Walking down the street, she noticed beside her the great stone cathedral that she used to attend on Sundays with her family as a child. Without knowing why, she felt compelled to walk up the steps and open the large wooden doors of the church. As soon she stepped inside, the doors having shut behind her, the first thing she noticed was the sense of pure peace lingering in the air - a feeling so refreshing after coming from the noisy streets of the city. She looked up the aisle to the front of the church, and her eyes rested upon the crucifix above the altar. She gazed at the man upon the cross, who, she thought with curiosity, seemed to be looking down directly at her. From a cut in his side flowed blood and water, his hands and feet had great nails driven through them, and a crown of woven thorns was placed upon his head. She was filled with deep compassion for him, for she couldn't imagine being able to bear such extreme suffering and humiliation.

Suddenly, the man on the cross spoke, his voice cascading through the echoey church and seemingly directly into her mind. “My daughter, how much longer will you keep me waiting?” She looked right into his eyes, and there she saw spectacular, radiant colours - colours out of this world, colours she could not hope to name. Memories of her dream in the forest flooded back into her mind. Falling to her knees, she bowed her head, and cried.

On the Importance of Silence

“We need to find God and God cannot be found in noise and restlessness. God is the friend of silence. See how nature — trees, flowers, grass — grow in silence; see the stars, the moon, the sun, how they move in silence. The more we receive in silent prayer, the more we can give in our active life. We need silence to be able to touch souls. The essential thing is not what we say, but what God says to us and through us. All our words will be useless unless they come from within — words which do not give the light of Christ increase the darkness.” - Mother Teresa

The sound of waves softly breaking against the shore, the mournful call of the gulls, and even the unmistakable scent of the sea – all of these are things that I find draw me closer to God and to the beauty of nature that comes from Him. Growing up by a bay and having the chance to go for almost daily walks on the beach has enabled me to greatly appreciate the chance for quiet and contemplation that the ocean seems to offer. In our culture, it seems almost impossible to make time for silence and lengthy personal prayer, and so one of my favourite ways to spend my frequent walks by the sea is to be accompanied by my rosary. Truly, “silence” is a word unbeknownst to most in our society, and as Catholics in this day and age, we have to always be attentive to the state of our personal prayer life. It is so easy to fall out of the habit of daily prayer, and so difficult to get back into.

I appreciate what Pope Emeritus Benedict has to say about the importance of silence: “We live in a society in which it seems that every space, every moment must be filled with initiatives, activity, sound; often there is not even time to listen and dialogue. Dear brothers and sisters! Let us not be afraid to be silent outside and inside ourselves, so that we are able not only to perceive God's voice, but also the voice of the person next to us, the voices of others...Holiness, in fact, never loses its own power of attraction, it is not forgotten, it never goes out of fashion.” Here, Pope Emeritus cannot stress enough the importance of both interior and exterior silence. Silence may be a fearful thing to the modern person. Their everyday life is filled with noise, activity, and constant action. Go into any store, and you will find music playing, music which is often spiritually destructive. Walk down the street in a city, and you will encounter endless lights, noise, cars, and other distractions. Watch the parking lot of a supermarket, where people fight for parking stalls, and rush in and out of the store, always in great hurries. The business in our materialistic world seems endless.

Learning how to have inner silence is directly associated with becoming a better listener. Listening for God's voice, while keeping an open mind, can help us grow in humility and trust in God. As Proverbs 17:24 states, “A man of understanding sets his face towards wisdom, but the eyes of a fool are on the ends of the earth.” It is especially important to listen for God's voice in silence because God will provide direction and guidance when we are in need of assistance. It is difficult, if not near impossible, to hear His Will if our lives are full of constant distractions. If we are in difficulty and are suffering, and we call on the Lord in silence with an open heart, God will hear us and answer our prayers - even if it is in a way that we do not at first understand.

Silence also serves truth. The way to truth is not always through speech; not every truth is to be blurted out. We must use caution and prudence when telling others about a truth they may be blind to. When evangelizing to someone about the Faith, it is crucial to realize what sort of person we are talking to, and to understand where they are coming from in life. Rather than first speaking out and rashly stating our minds, prayer in silence will help us know what is best when being a witness to the Faith.

It is essential for us to spend time with God in silence throughout all the year, but Lent in particular is a special time for this. We detach ourselves from worldly things during this time in the liturgical year, and replace them with prayers and offerings to the Lord. Lent may seem intimidating to some - what with knowing how we are called to further detach ourselves from material things during this time, and add extra spiritual prayers or exercises to our lives. All of these things that we are to work on during Lent have the purpose of helping us grow in holiness. Our material needs and earthly attachments are just fleeting moments in time compared to what awaits us after death. In fact, they are completely insignificant in relation to time, since time does not even exist after death - at least not in a way which we can possibly comprehend.

This Lent, I encourage you to spend more time with the Lord in silence. Do your utmost to better your inner prayer life, however you can. Put aside a little time each day to be alone with your rosary, and to pour out your worries and thoughts to Our Lady, who will in turn hand them to God. Perhaps this time can be spent in Adoration, or alone in your room, or walking down by the ocean as I like to do. Don't be afraid to be alone in silence, for as Saint Bernard wisely said, “Never less alone, than when alone!”

Time and Eternity // Father Lasance

I thought upon the days of old: and I had in my mind the eternal years.

-Ps. 76:6.

The following are excerpts from today's reflection on time and eternity from "Lift Up Your Hearts" by Fr Lasance.

For not to hoard the golden spoil

Of earthly mines, we bow the knee - 

Our labor is the saintly toil

Whose hire is Eternity.

-Gerald Griffin

All our time is given to us in order to our employing it in the service of our Maker and by that means securing for our souls a happy eternity. 

The number of the days of men at the most are a hundred years: as a drop of water of the sea are they esteemed; and as a pebble of the sand, so are a few years compared to eternity. 

-Eccles 18:9-10

God sees everything in eternity. It is in relation to eternity that He judges and values all things. The same should be the rule of our judgments: "I had in my mind the eternal years" (Ps. 76:6) Let us consider everything from this supernatural point of view; for this will be to judge everything according to the truth. Amidst the darkness that surrounds us and often obscures our view, eternity is like a lighthouse, always shining and sending forth a bright light for those who do not turn away their eyes.

A sacred burden is this life ye bear;

Look on it, lift it, bear it solemnly;

Stand up and walk beneath it steadfastly.

Fail not for sorrow, falter not for sin,

But onward, upward, till the goal ye win.

-Anon