I have one resolution this year and it is that I become, and be, genuinely human every day.
What this means is to be human as Jesus Christ was, fully human, in that He knew exactly what every person He met needed in terms of loving encouragement and He changed the world of those who knew Him radically by challenging them with the truth.
He brought healing, affirmation, freedom, hope and joy wherever He went. Those who connected with Him could see their own potentialities and could also take the first courageous step forward.
While I do not have His grasp of what it is to be authentically human, I seek an ever-evolving understanding and appreciation of what it means to be human.
Meditating on the life of writer and human rights activist Julia Esquivel at the Franciscan Missionaries of Mary's celebration of World Day of Peace on December 31st, I was inspired by her life and her writing. How can I be the change I want to see and make a positive difference like she did?
Often I think I am not able or capable of moving mountains and I don't try. I forget I am not called to accomplish great things, I am called to just be, to live with openness of heart and respond in faith, especially in the small things on a daily basis. And in saying yes to the small things, great things can and will happen. The perennial problem is knowing what to say yes to and what to refuse.
As Gaudium et Spes identified, there is a basic imbalance rooted in the heart of man, for in each of us, "many elements wrestle with one another". We experience limitations in many ways and yet, we are also boundless in our desires and summoned to a higher life.
What happens is that we often do what we would not, and fail to do what we would (even Saint Paul talks about this internal struggle). An example closer to home is that I started this entry on new year's day and I have been wanting to complete it since January 4th, but I have let myself be distracted by countless other things, while some were good, others were not exactly commendable.
These internal divisions each one of us has, arising from being "weak and sinful" contributes to many discords in society.
There is no simple antidote to the ills of the world, the violence and unrest, the social and financial inequities and the degenerative fragmentation of society that is fuelled largely by consumerism and secularization. However, Christ did come to save the world and if we believe in Him, then we have our part to play in bringing peace and justice through a Christian humanism that involves open and loving dialogue.
As Doctor Dominic Doyle commented during his talk on Christian Identity in Modern Culture, the point of dialogue is not conversion but understanding, an understanding that will lead to the discovery of a unitive common ground. But in order to have a fruitful dialogue, we must be grounded enough in the rich moral vocabulary of Catholicism so that we can make it relevant and alluring to the uninitiated.
Even as I work towards attaining the right words to engage in dialogue, I must work doubly hard to gain the sensitivity and wisdom needed to make every dialogue an enlightening and affirming one. I am still clumsy in my efforts although I may mean well, which can be disastrous.
I know I am ambitious in my bid to hone my humanity for it involves consistency especially in prayer, contemplation, and the cultivation of a humble, contrite heart coupled with an open spirit that does not judge, but I am determined to reach beyond myself.
And become more and more human.
What this means is to be human as Jesus Christ was, fully human, in that He knew exactly what every person He met needed in terms of loving encouragement and He changed the world of those who knew Him radically by challenging them with the truth.
He brought healing, affirmation, freedom, hope and joy wherever He went. Those who connected with Him could see their own potentialities and could also take the first courageous step forward.
While I do not have His grasp of what it is to be authentically human, I seek an ever-evolving understanding and appreciation of what it means to be human.
Meditating on the life of writer and human rights activist Julia Esquivel at the Franciscan Missionaries of Mary's celebration of World Day of Peace on December 31st, I was inspired by her life and her writing. How can I be the change I want to see and make a positive difference like she did?
Often I think I am not able or capable of moving mountains and I don't try. I forget I am not called to accomplish great things, I am called to just be, to live with openness of heart and respond in faith, especially in the small things on a daily basis. And in saying yes to the small things, great things can and will happen. The perennial problem is knowing what to say yes to and what to refuse.
As Gaudium et Spes identified, there is a basic imbalance rooted in the heart of man, for in each of us, "many elements wrestle with one another". We experience limitations in many ways and yet, we are also boundless in our desires and summoned to a higher life.
What happens is that we often do what we would not, and fail to do what we would (even Saint Paul talks about this internal struggle). An example closer to home is that I started this entry on new year's day and I have been wanting to complete it since January 4th, but I have let myself be distracted by countless other things, while some were good, others were not exactly commendable.
These internal divisions each one of us has, arising from being "weak and sinful" contributes to many discords in society.
There is no simple antidote to the ills of the world, the violence and unrest, the social and financial inequities and the degenerative fragmentation of society that is fuelled largely by consumerism and secularization. However, Christ did come to save the world and if we believe in Him, then we have our part to play in bringing peace and justice through a Christian humanism that involves open and loving dialogue.
As Doctor Dominic Doyle commented during his talk on Christian Identity in Modern Culture, the point of dialogue is not conversion but understanding, an understanding that will lead to the discovery of a unitive common ground. But in order to have a fruitful dialogue, we must be grounded enough in the rich moral vocabulary of Catholicism so that we can make it relevant and alluring to the uninitiated.
Even as I work towards attaining the right words to engage in dialogue, I must work doubly hard to gain the sensitivity and wisdom needed to make every dialogue an enlightening and affirming one. I am still clumsy in my efforts although I may mean well, which can be disastrous.
I know I am ambitious in my bid to hone my humanity for it involves consistency especially in prayer, contemplation, and the cultivation of a humble, contrite heart coupled with an open spirit that does not judge, but I am determined to reach beyond myself.
And become more and more human.
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