January has skated by in a blur. Given my laid-back December, I have taken on as many classes as I could get to pay for my recent vacation extravagances, and God has been faithful in providing for me for I have been extremely busy. Despite the dense weave of work commitments, community/ministry meetings and lunches with friends (one of my resolutions this year is to be a more attentive and engaged friend), I have managed to stay mindful and live in God's presence more frequently (another resolution to make this Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy count personally).
One of the things that has stood out for me during this busy time is how much joyful living is a decision I must will every day. It is so easy to be short with people and slide into grouchiness given my physically challenged state but since I made the decision to be this busy, I must do it with a cheerful heart and demeanour. As Father Arro put it in his homily last Sunday, the question to ask in prayer daily is show me how and who I should fall in love with today?
I am ever aware of the transience of time and how finite are the hours I have left with the people who mean much to me like my ageing mother. I will not be here forever myself and I will only pass this way once, so making every minute meaningful, and more importantly, delightful, for myself and others, is paramount.
Some of the ways I achieve joyful living include, not surprisingly, prayer, lots of it, and allowing myself to be gratified by beauty. When it comes to prayer, the intercessory prayer of others has helped me immensely. I am fortunate to be surrounded by many people whom I can rely on to intercede on my behalf when I need some extra mojo. Knowing that people who love me are praying for me gives me new heart, while praying for others in turn keeps me grounded in proper perspective.
Keats wrote Beauty is truth, truth beauty. Beauty and truth are God's special gifts to humankind, as is love. My happy place is my weekly walk with my mother in Gardens by the Bay. We both love visiting the domes to see what's blooming that day. The beauty of flowers speaks to us and this shared appreciation of nature is our special bonding time not just with each other but with the Creator for in the face of beauty we both see God. I treasure these walks for the ineffable joy they give me.
Beauty is not just to be found visually, but it is presides in the quotidian mores of life. Beauty hides shyly in the little things, the simple things - shared laughter, simple dinner conversation, the serendipity of a look exchanged, the healing, loving acceptance of a soul bared, courageous vulnerability, and even the unexpected smile of a stranger. It is found especially in the imperfect gestures of care and affection we exchange with the significant others in our lives.
So I like to wind down at night by recalling the beautiful moments that have graced any given day and pay proper homage to them by thanking the Lord for His generosity. I also examine the frustrating moments to seek the beauty in them and do likewise. If beauty can be found even in darkest night in the faint twinkling of a star, beauty is present even in our ugly encounters with people in the way we were given the grace to respond in graciousness. We, too, can create beautiful moments, and cultivate our own inner beauty, in how we respond to bad situations or challenging people with grace.
This is the crux of joyful living. Not only do I recognize and celebrate the inherent beauty of my life, I create as much beauty as I can by walking in the light of the Spirit, the Spirit of love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. I do my best to cultivate the quiet beauty of virtues like prudence, courage, temperance, justice, modesty, honesty, humility, hope and mercy.
Unfortunately we are increasingly socialized to focus so much on external appearances that it doesn't take much for us to be self-serving, shallow and vain. Just pick any reality TV programme that chronicles the lives of the rich and famous and you will see that the beauty celebrated is often superficial, crass even. What the world considers beautiful is mostly lacking in substance.
It is therefore worthwhile remembering Saint Paul's words to the Corinthians for love as described by Saint Paul is impossibly beautiful and priceless:
Love is always patient and kind; it is never jealous; love is never boastful or conceited; it is never rude or selfish; it does not take offence, and is not resentful. Love takes no pleasure in other people’s sins but delights in the truth; it is always ready to excuse, to trust, to hope, and to endure whatever comes. Love does not come to an end.
Have a beauty-filled day!
One of the things that has stood out for me during this busy time is how much joyful living is a decision I must will every day. It is so easy to be short with people and slide into grouchiness given my physically challenged state but since I made the decision to be this busy, I must do it with a cheerful heart and demeanour. As Father Arro put it in his homily last Sunday, the question to ask in prayer daily is show me how and who I should fall in love with today?
I am ever aware of the transience of time and how finite are the hours I have left with the people who mean much to me like my ageing mother. I will not be here forever myself and I will only pass this way once, so making every minute meaningful, and more importantly, delightful, for myself and others, is paramount.
Some of the ways I achieve joyful living include, not surprisingly, prayer, lots of it, and allowing myself to be gratified by beauty. When it comes to prayer, the intercessory prayer of others has helped me immensely. I am fortunate to be surrounded by many people whom I can rely on to intercede on my behalf when I need some extra mojo. Knowing that people who love me are praying for me gives me new heart, while praying for others in turn keeps me grounded in proper perspective.
Beauty is not just to be found visually, but it is presides in the quotidian mores of life. Beauty hides shyly in the little things, the simple things - shared laughter, simple dinner conversation, the serendipity of a look exchanged, the healing, loving acceptance of a soul bared, courageous vulnerability, and even the unexpected smile of a stranger. It is found especially in the imperfect gestures of care and affection we exchange with the significant others in our lives.
So I like to wind down at night by recalling the beautiful moments that have graced any given day and pay proper homage to them by thanking the Lord for His generosity. I also examine the frustrating moments to seek the beauty in them and do likewise. If beauty can be found even in darkest night in the faint twinkling of a star, beauty is present even in our ugly encounters with people in the way we were given the grace to respond in graciousness. We, too, can create beautiful moments, and cultivate our own inner beauty, in how we respond to bad situations or challenging people with grace.This is the crux of joyful living. Not only do I recognize and celebrate the inherent beauty of my life, I create as much beauty as I can by walking in the light of the Spirit, the Spirit of love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. I do my best to cultivate the quiet beauty of virtues like prudence, courage, temperance, justice, modesty, honesty, humility, hope and mercy.
Unfortunately we are increasingly socialized to focus so much on external appearances that it doesn't take much for us to be self-serving, shallow and vain. Just pick any reality TV programme that chronicles the lives of the rich and famous and you will see that the beauty celebrated is often superficial, crass even. What the world considers beautiful is mostly lacking in substance.
It is therefore worthwhile remembering Saint Paul's words to the Corinthians for love as described by Saint Paul is impossibly beautiful and priceless:
Love is always patient and kind; it is never jealous; love is never boastful or conceited; it is never rude or selfish; it does not take offence, and is not resentful. Love takes no pleasure in other people’s sins but delights in the truth; it is always ready to excuse, to trust, to hope, and to endure whatever comes. Love does not come to an end.
Have a beauty-filled day!
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