The proper accepting attitude

By Fr. Roy Cimagala

IN our life, in all our relations with others, in all situations and conditions that we can encounter, we have to learn how to be properly accepting of things without forgetting what needs to be done for everything to be how it should be. It’s a tough balance to make, but we should try our best to pursue it. This will unavoidably involve some tension for which we should be prepared.

And the secret is simply to follow the example of Christ. He knew how to deal with everyone and everything with patience, understanding and compassion and yet without compromising the truth of things. In him, the exclusivity of truth and the inclusivity of charity were perfectly blended. Of course, we have to understand that it would unavoidably suffering and ultimately death.

Part of a good accepting attitude is the ability to be flexible and resilient without getting confused and lost about what is absolutely right or wrong, true or false, real or unreal. We have to know how to adapt ourselves properly to different kinds of people and conditions.

This would presume that we have a firm grounding on what is absolutely right and wrong, good and evil. And this could only mean that we believe in God, in a Creator who is the original author of all things in this world. He is also the one that takes care of everything all the way to the end of time and of the world.

Yes, a good accepting attitude would include the firm belief that God takes care of everything through his constant providence over all his creation. He knows what to do in any condition that we and the world would get into. With him, we would know what and how to let go of certain things and what and how to hold on.

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 to do is to learn to pray and to live out as fully as possible the divine gifts of faith, hope and charity.

For this, we cannot exaggerate the importance of learning really how to pray. Only then would we know how to be immersed in the things of this world without being trapped by them.

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

Email: roycimagala@gmail.com