Real Contemplation

Today we'll start out with the Lenten quote because it's so interesting and worth examination.

Our quote:

"Remember that you have only one soul; that you have only one death to die; that you have only one life, which is short and has to be lived by you alone; and there is only one Glory, which is eternal. If you do this, there will be many things about which you care nothing. " St. Teresa of Avila

St. Teresa of Avila was a Spanish nun who became a Doctor of the Church.  Her writings have inspired many people, have called many people to God, and have brought about change in many.

1.  We have only one soul -- therefore, we ought to cherish and protect our souls from the near occasion of sin.  We ought to filter what we see with our eyes and what we hear with our ears.  When we sin, we leave damage on our souls, kind of like a pitted surface.  Although our sins are forgiven when we seek out forgiveness and admit our wrongdoings, and although our sins are then as far as the east is from the west, there is still damage.  And although we should be able to abandon it, we feel guilt in many instances and guilt takes us away from God's work and causes us to focus more on ourselves.

2.  We have only one death to die -- watching a loved one or anyone suffer is so difficult.  In the movie, "They Shoot Horses, Don't They?", the plot moves toward an act of murder in order to remove someone from their suffering.  Why isn't that okay?  Because our time of death isn't ours to determine; it is God's.  And the suffering that we experience on this earth is preparing us from our everlasting life.  Sure, it's scary.  I've always said that I'm really not afraid of dying; I'm afraid of what I might have to experience to get there.  But we need to trust in God completely.  The suffering will end.

The part that we have to live our lives by ourselves alone is interesting.  Have you ever been around someone whose life is consumed by another or others?  We are to serve others but not become slaves to others.  That isn't humility; it's a surrendering of our own minds and hearts to someone else.  The kind of pitiful comment you might hear, "Well, my husband doesn't like it when I spend time with my friends," is usually a clue that the balance in that relationship is off.  There is a really important reason for living our lives ourselves, and that's because we must be sure that we alone make the decisions that may lead to sin. 

3.  There is only one glory.  The things that seem so important here on this earth are passing.  The glory of God is eternal and forever.  Thinking about this third point alone should create in us a better understanding of this life and how we choose to lead it.  It puts the unrelenting drive you see in some for power and position to shame.  It makes the quest for piles of material things we really don't need to shame.  It makes the reliance on science to explain everything to shame.

The gift of knowledge and discernment isn't about what we know but about what God knows and shares with us. 

Pray for faith every single day, for it is your faith that will guide you toward the things that are everlasting -- faith, hope and love -- and as we know, the greatest of these is love.

I pray that this time of Lent is very special for you.