Living Ordinary Lives

17 January 2011

Over the years, I have heard about ‘The Documents of Vatican II.’ However, I never ever in my life thought that I would bother to read it. Aside from the fact that I felt that I would immediately fall asleep, I believed (without really looking at it) that it would be very intimidating or too difficult to comprehend. I felt it was only to be read by the erudite – not for me.

However, my curiosity got the better of me, so I checked it out. You can find the complete documents at http://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/. If you go to the link, you will see all different kinds of Latin Titles such as Dei Verbum, Lumen Gentium, or Gaudium et Spes. Yes, I agree, it may in fact be daunting. And yes, some of the documents are very long. But there really is a wealth of knowledge that can be learned about our Catholic faith. And, it is not that bad a read.

In Lumen Gentium for instance, it says: ‘For all their works, prayers and apostolic endeavors, their ordinary married and family life, their daily occupations, their physical and mental relaxation, if carried out in the Spirit, and even the hardships of life, if patiently borne—all these become spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.’

How awesome it is to realise that God is pleased with us in our daily sacrifices from our ordinary lives! God is happy with all of our efforts, all of our hardships, and EVERYTHING and ANYTHING we do, for as long as we offer it to Him.

Even the most mundane chores that we do on a daily basis, can be offered as a sacrifice to God. He is delighted with us when we engage in sports, when we work, when we take care of our children, when we read, or even play video games! Just as long as everything is done ‘carried out in the Spirit.’

If reading Lumen Gentium is not your cup of tea, try reading Ordinary Work, Extraordinary Grace: My Spiritual Journey in Opus Dei by Scott Hahn. It is an easy read and the author is engaging, sincere, and loves God intensely.

If Today You Hear His Voice, Harden not your Hearts

15 January 2011

Last Wednesday (12 January), I was blessed to be able to attend Opus Dei’s first recollection of the year at the Redfield College in Dural, New South Wales. Father Jerry opened up the meditation by saying something like:

‘I am happy and contented with where I am. Why do I need to change?’

This is the question that so many people (including myself), ask every so often. Admittedly, this attitude paralysed me for so many years.

Am I doing anything wrong? I don’t think so. I am a good person. I go to church every Sunday. I believe in God. I do not oppress other people. I enjoy life. Is this a sin? I enjoy sports – surely, there is nothing wrong with that. I am a part of a community – I spend more than enough time with God, going beyond just Sunday mass. I am a responsible provider for my family - isn’t this making good use of my talents? I love my family, and I would die for them – isn’t this the kind of love that God commanded us? God is a merciful God. He would forgive me for any of my other shortcomings, because I am a good person. Isn’t this the gospel truth?

I cannot pretend that I know the answers to these questions. A priest or theologian would definitely be in a better position to give a satisfactory answer. But then again, upon reflection (for me at least), it seems that the root of the problem, this attitude, is in the excessive focus on ‘I’. So where is God in the equation? Is He, in all His majesty and splendour, Creator of the entire universe, not entitled to be a part of our lives?

This leads me to ask more questions. From a business perspective: Is there an ‘I’ in TEAM? From a romantic perspective: To the person who I love more than anything else in the world, the person who makes my heart beat - Is there only an ‘I’ in our relationship? In both cases I would say that the answer is NO.

For any business venture, it is a given that we would do our best to work with our partners in order to ensure success. We would be proactive and implement kaizen (continuous change) in order to establish a profitable business. When we find that one person in the world who takes our breath away, we immerse ourselves in them – we change, for the better, in order to win their heart. From this perspective, perhaps the reason to change becomes a bit clearer.

Father Jerry went on to talk about ‘our interior life’ – pertaining to the mind and soul, our spiritual life if you may. I tie this in to the reading for 13 January 2011 from Hebrews 3:15 – ‘Oh, that today you would hear his voice; Harden not your hearts….’

Jesus delights when we pray to Him, for this is how we are able to experience His love. He wants us to feel His love for us. He wants to be a part of our lives. Jesus is calling us to have an ‘interior life’ with Him through prayer. Let us not be intimidated by what He might have to say. He wants us to know and experience a greater kind of happiness.

Yes, we may not be doing anything wrong in our lives. We may actually be living noble lives. But just like in business and in love, there is always room for improvement. There is always something more that can be done. Jesus is calling us – TODAY. Let us not harden our hearts.

Taking a Moment

12 January 2011

‘Thank you for the cross Lord,
Thank you for the price you paid.
Bearing all my sin and shame, in love you came,
And gave amazing grace.
Thank you for this love Lord,
Thank you for the nail-pierced hands.
Washed me in your cleansing flow, now all I know,
Your forgiveness and embrace.
Worthy is the Lamb, seated on the throne.
I crown you now with many crowns, you reign victorious!
High and lifted up, Jesus son of God.
The darling of heaven crucified, Worthy is the Lamb.’ - Hillsong


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AR4CCLnmf1Q

The first time I heard this song, I wept. I was overwhelmed, and my hands were shaking uncontrollably. I felt so many emotions rushing through me – love, guilt, peace, sorrow, gratitude, despair, courage, pain. Amidst all of this, I felt the Holy Spirit embracing me, telling me that everything was going to be okay.

We all know what Jesus did for us. He died for us on the cross, in order to liberate us from our sins. But it wasn’t just a simple case of giving up His life, HE SUFFERED FOR OUR SINS in the most agonising way. I would think that a lot of us have watched the movie ‘Passion of the Christ.’ And needless to say, Jesus’ suffering is/was beyond perhaps anything that anyone of us would be capable of or willing to endure.

But wait! Didn’t Jesus’ story happen 2000 years ago? Aren’t times different now? We have so many pressing concerns, so many problems and sources of anxiety. There isn’t enough time in the day! We need to eat, to earn a living, to attend to our daily needs. I have to do well at my job! Surely, Jesus would understand that we have responsibilities, wouldn’t He? Time is of the essence, and we have very little of it.

All of us have our own personal circumstances. We might be a politician, businessman, CEO, housewife, student, celebrity, artist, investment banker, engineer, doctor, electrician, plumber, teacher, employee, etc. Or we might even be unemployed or underemployed. Some have it easier than others. But regardless of what we do, where we are, and the level of belief we have – we cannot deny what Jesus did for us. He died for each and every one of us – bar none. In one way or another at different levels, the story of Jesus has impacted on our lives. In our hearts, we have felt his love.

For many years I knew this truth. Sad to say, I always set it aside - for future reference. I spent the last 20 years building my career, expanding my business. At one point, I had almost 400 employees on my payroll. Nothing was more important than the business! And as the business expanded, more and more responsibility poured in. Add to this my passion for sports, and I really ended up having very little time for anything else.

But God had a plan for me. I was/have been a member of a community for the past 29 years. As I said in one of my former blogs, one of the biggest reasons why I never left my community (even when I had a choice) was because I KNEW deep in my heart that I would EVENTUALLY have to turn my life over to Him. I knew that Jesus suffered for our sins, for a reason. And I knew that one day, I would have to heed His call. This is also why throughout the past 29 years, I always found a way to do something for God albeit in very small amounts/doses. Many were fleeting gestures done on a day-to-day basis, and when I reflect on these, I realise how inadequate these actions were. But I also realise NOW how nothing we can do would ever go to waste! It may come sooner or later (better sooner!), but eventually, those small actions/deeds will come around with a vengeance. In my case, by God’s grace, after so many years, I have now totally and unequivocally dedicated my life to Him.

Take a moment. It could be just a few seconds or minutes each day. Take a PAUSE. We know what Jesus did for us. Our day would not be crippled if we took a few moments each day to do something for God. Think about Him, thank Him, or do whatever your heart leads you to do. Make sure to go to mass every Sunday. Go to confession. Make a small sacrifice in honor of what He did for us – each day. Do whatever you feel like doing – for Him, everyday.

And Jesus will smile upon you. It may happen today or tomorrow, or it may have already happened. And when you feel the radiance and warmth of God’s smile, you will end up wanting more and more and more. Jesus died on the cross for a reason – in order for each and every one of us to be with Him in paradise. Remember, that Jesus wants all of us with Him in Heaven. Take a moment each day, everyday. With God, nothing goes to waste.