Accepting but moving

By Fr. Roy Cimagala

THIS should be the attitude to have in this life. We have to learn to be accepting of whatever fate, situation, condition and circumstance may fall on us, whether it is favorable or not, advantageous or not, but also having the mind of moving on to pursue the ultimate purpose and essential goal in our life here on earth.

That way, we avoid creating unnecessary problems for us as we keep the necessary focus in our life. We have to learn how to suffer when bad things come our way, as well as how to avoid getting spoiled when we are favored with good things. We have to learn how to be accepting of these.

But we should continue to move on, making the pertinent plans, strategies and resolutions, and using the appropriate means. We should not stop at any point even if we face what may seem to be an impenetrable wall.

Yes, there will be predicaments where no more human solutions can handle. But with our will, with our prayers, with our faith God in God in his providence, we also know that nothing is impossible. As they say, where there is a will, there is always a way.

To be avoided is to rot in some self-pity when bad things come or to get self-satisfied when good things come. We have to move on, knowing that the ultimate goal is something that can never be reached definitively as long as we live. It can be reached only in the afterlife.

In either case, we have to see to it that we manage to be calm, cheerful and confident, not unduly affected by the condition, whether good or bad, that we may be in at the moment, while also thinking of the next move we have to make.

It’s for this reason that we have to learn how to be immersed in the things of this world without being trapped by them. It’s a delicate balancing act of being immersed and somehow also being detached from the things of this world that we have to learn.

For this, we have to be very clear about our constant and ultimate goal which is something spiritual and supernatural. We have to understand that this goal transcends our earthly and natural condition, and that in pursuing it we would always need the supernatural help of grace from God. We cannot hack it using our human efforts alone.

And we also have to be clear that the things of this world, whatever and however they are, whether good or bad to us, favorable or not to us, only serve as a means, occasion, reason and an instrument to pursue our ultimate goal. We should not be unduly immersed in them as to be trapped by them.

That is why we have to learn how to be recollected and contemplative in the middle of the world. This is the proper condition for us. While here on earth, our mind and heart should somehow already be in heaven with God. And this condition is not impossible to attain since God is always with us. All we need do is to learn to pray and to live out as fully as possible the divine gifts of faith, hope and charity.

In this way, we would know how to be accepting of anything in this life while at the same time able to move on to pursue our ultimate goal.

Email: roycimagala@gmail.com