For the Journey Do you know what’s good for you? Knowing and then doing what we know is good for us are two distinct things. I know that jogging is very good for my body and spirit, but going over to the Recreation Center is not only a good idea, but something I don’t […]
[Week 1] 2. Some practical help for getting started this week
Each week, there will be some practical help to prepare for this week’s retreat and for getting the most from it. The first and most important point is to begin this journey with great hope and confidence. God is never outdone in generosity. So, if we make even a small change in our weekly […]
[Week 1] 1. Let’s begin at the beginning
Let’s begin at the beginning. This is the first week of a 34 week journey. We begin at the beginning – our story. Prayer is about our relationship with God. We will begin to grow in this relationship with God, in the midst of our everyday lives this week, by simply reflecting upon our […]
One Thing (3rd Ordinary Sunday)
“There is one thing in this world that must never be forgotten. If you were to forget everything else, but did not forget that, then there would be no cause to worry; whereas if you performed and remembered and did not forget every single thing, but forgot that one thing, then you would have done nothing whatsoever. It is just as if a king had sent you into a country to carry out a specified task. You go and perform a hundred others tasks; but if you have not performed that particular task on account of which you had gone to the country, it is as though you have performed nothing at all. So each human being has come into this world for a particular task, and that is each one’s purpose; if one does not perform it, then that one will have done nothing.” (Rumi, the Sufi mystic and poet)
The one thing to which everyone is called could be named life purpose or vocation. To find the one thing in our life is to understand who we are and to be able to enjoy a full life that God has given us. But do you know how many percentages of people who are in the wrong jobs these days? The answer is seventy percent! However, let me ask you a question: which musical note is wrong note? Is B-flat a wrong note? C sharp? Obviously there are no “wrong” musical notes, but only notes that are in the wrong place at the wrong time, thus destroying the harmony. I believe that heaven will consist of every person doing what they most love—of every note being in its right place. Hell will be an eternity of people having to do work they hate.
Annual Retreat 2
My spiritual director Fr. Eric Jensen S.J. said to me when I expressed my difficulty reflecting on my life in terms of the gospel stories.
“If we need to start our journey to find God from some where, our life would be the best place to begin. And if we are able to find God in our life, our life should be called a sacred text.”
His guidance was precise as well as accurate. I followed his direction, trusting that God would be in my life stories and the scripture is the way to start. When I spent my time to pray, I first recalled God’s presence in deep breathing. And I gave thanks to God for his goodness in my life. Slowly and gradually, I let myself move into the gospel stories that I read before the prayer.
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