LIFE, BANQUET AND CELEBRATION
“But You, Lord, have given my heart more joy than they have when grain and wine abound,” (Psalm 4:8)
Dear friend, above all urgent matters -for any consecrated person or believer- the supreme priority should be the pursuit of the living God; furthermore, seeking Him for His own sake, without any ulterior motive. We seek Him as the Source from which all things flow; that is, treating the Absolute as absolute and the relative as relative, placing every value in its proper place.
Dear friend, if you seek God as the center of your life -as your Center of Gravity- you will gradually see everything else fall into order and balance. No matter how many important tasks fill your life, the essential and most necessary one is to seek the Face of God each day; to say with all your soul and conviction: “I will bless you as long as I live; I will lift up my hands, calling on your name,” (Psalm 63:5).
If, at the start of each day, you anchor your attitude and your heart in this essential praise so pure and freely given, God will become for your life, banquet, and celebration.
Persecutions may befall you, and calamities may surround you. Yet, “Your Guardian does not sleep. He will rescue you from the fowler’s snare, from the destroying plague,” (Psalm 91:3).
When God is your priority, even in the most extreme situations, you will echo the words of the prophet Jeremiah: “You seduced me, Lord, and I let myself be seduced; you were too strong for me, and you prevailed. All day long I am an object of laughter, everyone mocks me… The word of the Lord has brought me reproach and derision all day long. I say I will not mention him, I will no longer speak in His name. But then it is as if fire is burning in my heart, imprisoned in my bones; I tried to stifle it, but I could not… But the Lord is with me, like a mighty champion: they persecute me, but they will stumble, powerless,” (Jeremiah 20:7-11).
Yet it is not always calamity; there is also the allure of the many things created by God -marvelous signs of this world’s variety- teeming with pleasant things, and reflections of God’s inexhaustible beauty and goodness. We might think that true life -the banquet and the celebration- lies here. However, while God created these things as good -for our enjoyment and well-being- when we pursue them and treat them as absolute, we fall into the trap of confusing the Creator with the created, which is merely fleeting. This leads to great sadness and anxiety, as we seek only what is pleasant and gratifying. We fall into the trap of viewing the ephemeral as something eternal, that must be held onto at all costs, and how much we suffer for it! The problem is not the things of this world, but our own weakness, our smallness, and the darkness that blinds us. Indeed, through created things, we can discover God the Infinitely Other; He, who is all beauty and goodness, and the source of every good thing.
Yet, it is also possible to encounter Him -with even greater depth and consolation- in absence, solitude, and exile. When you see no signs or spectacular wonders, I tell you: look within yourself. You will not find Him outside, but within. With an attitude of longing and openness, and in a spirit of gratuitousness, you must discover Him within and experience God dwelling in you; maintaining an attitude of blessing and praising God, come what may. Then, a spring will well up from within you, a river of peace and joy that comes not from the world, but from the true gift of God; therein lies true life, joy, and celebration.
That is not easy, for you must walk the path of detachment, of renunciation; of nothingness, whether good or bad. You must believe and trust absolutely. As Saint John of the Cross says: “Seeking God on mountains and riverbanks, I will neither pick flowers nor fear wild beasts.”
Now, my dear friend, prepare yourself to turn inward; to experience God within you; it is my desire that you may live and savor everything from that perspective that you can only attain through Him.
Leave behind all thoughts, anxieties, worries… In this moment, remain with yourself, but open to a gentle and loving Presence, which is always there, even if you are not usually aware of it. But now I invite you to become aware of God within you. Don’t think about anything, just be aware and experience His presence with conviction and faith, without provoking or forcing a heightened emotional response, which is something only He can give. Your part is simply to receive and accept what comes from Him. He is there if you truly believe it. Everything else is relative.
Leave your daily worries for a moment, insignificant one; enter for an instant within yourself; withdraw from your confused thoughts and the worries which oppress you. Rest in God for a moment, rest in Him for only an instant. Enter the depth of your soul; withdraw from everything except God and whatever might help you to find Him. Close the door of your room and look for Him in silence. Tell God with all your might, tell the Lord: “I seek Your face. Your face I seek, Lord.”
And now, Lord and my God, teach me how and where I must seek You, where and how I will reach You. (Prayer of Saint Anselm E-7)
May your Spirit, my God, guide me and place in my mouth and in my heart words that exalt Your greatness and praise You, saying:
You alone are Holy, Lord God, who works wonders.
You are strong, You are great, You are Most High.
You are Good, all Good, the Supreme Good, Lord God, living and true.
You are charity and love, You are wisdom, You are humility, You are patience, You are security.
You are peacefulness, You are well-being, You are joy.
You are beauty, You are meekness.
You are our protector, our guardian, and defender.
You are strength and hope. You are our sweetness.
You are our eternal life, great and wonderful, Lord.
(Canticle of Saint Francis: Praise to God E-63)
Pause at each phrase and speak each word of praise from the heart.
To conclude, listen to and sing the beautiful Psalm 8:
“O Lord our Lord, how awesome is your name through all the earth!”