Technically competent and spiritually healthy

By Fr. Roy Cimagala

THIS is the ideal condition for us to be in as we go about our temporal affairs, especially in business and politics, and in the more complicated and challenging sector of the new technologies. We should be as technically competent as possible in these areas, but what is even more important than that is for us to be spiritually healthy.

Otherwise, there is no way but for us to be misusing and abusing the elements involved in these temporal affairs. And as a consequence, it would just be a matter of time before some disaster, especially in the moral and spiritual aspects, would befall us.

We should see to it that all our temporal affairs, especially those that have very significant impact on the lives of many people, should be guided by the laws God has given to all the things of our life, foremost of which is for us to do all for the glory of God. (Deo omnes gloria!)

Let us always remember that we are notorious for simply following our own ideas, our own estimation of what is right and wrong according to some worldly standards that in the end would just lead us to self-indulgence, and thus goes against the common good and our innate duty of love toward God.

We need to do things always with God and for God, since Christ said it very clearly: “He who is not with me, is against me; and he who gathers not with me, scatters.” (Lk 11,23) To do things with God and for God is not an optional thing. It is a necessity for us, considering who we really are. Of course, to do things with God and for God should be done freely, and not forcibly.

To be technically competent means having the skills, knowledge and abilities needed to perform tasks or work in a specific field or area effectively. An example would be a software engineer needed to be proficient in coding languages, a mechanic who knows how to do engine repair.

Those in business, for example, should be knowledgeable about data analysis and tech literacy, financial management, strategic planning, communication and leadership tools, etc. While those in politics should be conversant in policy analysis and development, public communication and media literacy, data-informed decision making, legislative and regulatory knowledge, etc.

Spiritual health is a matter of knowing how to discern the abiding promptings of the Holy Spirit. In this regard, we cannot overemphasize the need to make use of certain helpful acts of piety, like regular mental prayer, presence of God all throughout the day, continuing study and formation regarding our spiritual life.

We need to be more wary of our duty to take care of our spiritual powers. Our spiritual powers are mainly our intelligence and will, our thinking, judging, reasoning and loving. These need to be managed and supervised well, seeing to it that they are rooted properly and are oriented toward their proper objects and not simply allowed to drift and flow wherever they are blown by our bodily and worldly conditionings.

St. Paul talks about the distinction between the carnal man and the spiritual man, and we should make the right choice and develop it to its maturity. St. Augustine warns us not to allow our soul, our spiritual powers, to become carnal by consenting to the affections of the flesh.

Caring for our spiritual powers means exerting realistic effort to always find reasons, motivations and ways to relate all our thinking and loving to God and all souls.

Email: roycimagala@gmail.com