09-10-2014, 02:04 PM
NOT TO CLING TO THE TRANSITORY NATURE OF LIFE
SCRIPTURE READINGS: 1 COR 7:25-31; LK 6:20-26
http://www.universalis.com/20140910/mass.htm
It is our human tendency to cling to things, power, people and achievements in life. But our attachment goes beyond things and people, we find ourselves clinging even to our hatred for others, the unforgiveness and resentment in our hearts. This need to cling arises basically from our own insecurity. We need to remind ourselves of our achievements so that we feel good about ourselves. We need to cling on to things so that we feel materially provided and that we are self-sufficient. And we even cling to negative attitudes that destroy our lives because we need to feel righteous against those who sinned against us, or be punished for our sins so that we have paid for our offences
But the truth is that it is our attachment and our tendentious clinging to all these that have brought us so much misery in life. Yes, our happiness is so easily affected when we lose certain things in life e.g. our mobile phone, money, prestige, job, etc. More painful is when we lose our friends due to some misunderstanding or because we have to part. But most of all, many of us feel hurt when we are slighted, humiliated or ignored, or when we experience failures in life. It is due to our clinging that we are always unsettled and unhappy.
How, then, can we find the courage to let go? The key to authentic liberation is found in St Paul’s letter to the Corinthians. Overshadowed by the expected coming of the Kingdom of God, i.e. the end of the world, Paul gave his views on celibacy and marriage. But the main point that Paul wanted to bring across is not just regarding celibacy and marriage but the transitory nature of things and life. If he advised them not to get married, it was because he believed that the Kingdom was coming soon. “Brothers, this is what I mean: our time is growing short.”
This basic principle of Paul’s advice must also be applied to every area of our daily life. What is important is not so much celibacy but that our whole life must be overshadowed by the thought that the end of the world is coming soon. We must live as if the world is coming to an end for us tomorrow. The truth is that the world as we know it is passing away. Unless we grasp the reality that all things are changing and passing, we will continue to cling on to things, people, and our pride in life. We will delude ourselves into thinking that we are going to live forever and so we spend so much time storing up our wealth, our achievements, thinking that we will be able to enjoy them. The fact is that life is passing away each day. Once we realize this, we would not cling to anything in life anymore, not even our pride and ego because in the face of eternity all these are nothing. When we come to realize that nothing remains the same, then in the face of poverty, adversity and failure, we know that things can only get better; and in the face of prosperity and success, we are mindful that these earthly achievements cannot last either.
This point is very well illustrated in today’s gospel. The beatitudes are indeed the blueprint to life. The question we need to ask is, why did Jesus call those who are hungry, poor and weeping and rejected as blessed? In human understanding, they are really cursed and suffering. But in truth they are blessed because to be poor, hungry and rejected by others is to be a person without ego, without anything to cling on to. Only such people are truly open to God. They are totally dependent on God and no longer rely on themselves. When we experience hunger, poverty and suffering, we learn compassion and gratitude for what we already have. Only such people are truly free because they are not slaves to anything or anyone. From this point onwards, everything for them would be gain.
Conversely, we must hold that those who are rich, full, and well respected by others are really cursed, not blessed. Why is that so? Because for these people, they will always have to live in insecurity, with the possibility that they might lose all that they have accumulated. Hence, those who are rich need to protect their riches; those who are powerful need to protect their power – it will be a life-long fear that they have to deal with. Those who are honoured and served will always have many enemies who envy their position and waiting to take over from them. In their case, they have everything to lose. As a result, the rich and powerful fear that their wealth and power will be taken away. Furthermore, when they lose their wealth or status, they will find it very difficult to adapt to a lower standard of life and an unknown life.
Hence, what is required of us is to adopt an attitude of holy indifference to all things, people and life. We must learn to take life as it comes, without choosing this or the other. Happy is the person who neither craves for this or that, nor has an aversion to this or that. He is, in other words, equanimous. In that state, he reaches a state of tranquility. He is no more fearful of death, of suffering, of poverty, of humiliation, etc. Thus, he can truly live. He can afford to be generous with whatever little he has – he can share generously without calculating the cost. Indeed, Blessed Mother Teresa says that those who know themselves neither fear disgrace nor honour, because they know who they are.
Yes, one of the ways in which we can always keep life in its proper perspective is to meditate on death, not just the death of someone we love, but especially on our own death. This was why St Paul told the Christians to consider everything in the light of the coming of God’s kingdom. It is when we are conscious of the fact that we can die anytime, whether it is a few days from now or months, then we will stop clinging to all securities in life. We will also surrender our hatred, bitterness and unforgiveness, the achievements, wealth and power we have gained. Why? Because in the face of death, all these mean nothing. We cannot bring them with us. If our last thought on earth is the first thought in the next life, then by not forgiving and letting go of all that is earthly, worldly and sinful, we will only bring them to the next world. If we want to complete our life on earth with great satisfaction, what we would be most concerned with is that we be at peace with our fellowmen and that we will live and spend the rest of our life to the fullest in love and service.
Ultimately, what brings the greatest happiness in life is simply a life of true freedom, making the best of what we have in life, without craving for things that are neither ours or being attached to them. Yes, all things in this world, even you and I, are passing. As someone said, “We pass through this world but once, if there is any good that we can do, let us do it now!” Indeed, let us take to heart the exhortation of St Paul that “those who mourn should live as though they had nothing to mourn for; those who are enjoying life should live as though there were nothing to laugh about; those whose life is buying things should live as though they had nothing of their own; and those who have to deal with the world should not become engrossed in it. I say this because the world as we know it is passing away.”
- See more at: http://www.csctr.net/reflections/#sthash.QX4vuJDp.dpuf
SCRIPTURE READINGS: 1 COR 7:25-31; LK 6:20-26
http://www.universalis.com/20140910/mass.htm
It is our human tendency to cling to things, power, people and achievements in life. But our attachment goes beyond things and people, we find ourselves clinging even to our hatred for others, the unforgiveness and resentment in our hearts. This need to cling arises basically from our own insecurity. We need to remind ourselves of our achievements so that we feel good about ourselves. We need to cling on to things so that we feel materially provided and that we are self-sufficient. And we even cling to negative attitudes that destroy our lives because we need to feel righteous against those who sinned against us, or be punished for our sins so that we have paid for our offences
But the truth is that it is our attachment and our tendentious clinging to all these that have brought us so much misery in life. Yes, our happiness is so easily affected when we lose certain things in life e.g. our mobile phone, money, prestige, job, etc. More painful is when we lose our friends due to some misunderstanding or because we have to part. But most of all, many of us feel hurt when we are slighted, humiliated or ignored, or when we experience failures in life. It is due to our clinging that we are always unsettled and unhappy.
How, then, can we find the courage to let go? The key to authentic liberation is found in St Paul’s letter to the Corinthians. Overshadowed by the expected coming of the Kingdom of God, i.e. the end of the world, Paul gave his views on celibacy and marriage. But the main point that Paul wanted to bring across is not just regarding celibacy and marriage but the transitory nature of things and life. If he advised them not to get married, it was because he believed that the Kingdom was coming soon. “Brothers, this is what I mean: our time is growing short.”
This basic principle of Paul’s advice must also be applied to every area of our daily life. What is important is not so much celibacy but that our whole life must be overshadowed by the thought that the end of the world is coming soon. We must live as if the world is coming to an end for us tomorrow. The truth is that the world as we know it is passing away. Unless we grasp the reality that all things are changing and passing, we will continue to cling on to things, people, and our pride in life. We will delude ourselves into thinking that we are going to live forever and so we spend so much time storing up our wealth, our achievements, thinking that we will be able to enjoy them. The fact is that life is passing away each day. Once we realize this, we would not cling to anything in life anymore, not even our pride and ego because in the face of eternity all these are nothing. When we come to realize that nothing remains the same, then in the face of poverty, adversity and failure, we know that things can only get better; and in the face of prosperity and success, we are mindful that these earthly achievements cannot last either.
This point is very well illustrated in today’s gospel. The beatitudes are indeed the blueprint to life. The question we need to ask is, why did Jesus call those who are hungry, poor and weeping and rejected as blessed? In human understanding, they are really cursed and suffering. But in truth they are blessed because to be poor, hungry and rejected by others is to be a person without ego, without anything to cling on to. Only such people are truly open to God. They are totally dependent on God and no longer rely on themselves. When we experience hunger, poverty and suffering, we learn compassion and gratitude for what we already have. Only such people are truly free because they are not slaves to anything or anyone. From this point onwards, everything for them would be gain.
Conversely, we must hold that those who are rich, full, and well respected by others are really cursed, not blessed. Why is that so? Because for these people, they will always have to live in insecurity, with the possibility that they might lose all that they have accumulated. Hence, those who are rich need to protect their riches; those who are powerful need to protect their power – it will be a life-long fear that they have to deal with. Those who are honoured and served will always have many enemies who envy their position and waiting to take over from them. In their case, they have everything to lose. As a result, the rich and powerful fear that their wealth and power will be taken away. Furthermore, when they lose their wealth or status, they will find it very difficult to adapt to a lower standard of life and an unknown life.
Hence, what is required of us is to adopt an attitude of holy indifference to all things, people and life. We must learn to take life as it comes, without choosing this or the other. Happy is the person who neither craves for this or that, nor has an aversion to this or that. He is, in other words, equanimous. In that state, he reaches a state of tranquility. He is no more fearful of death, of suffering, of poverty, of humiliation, etc. Thus, he can truly live. He can afford to be generous with whatever little he has – he can share generously without calculating the cost. Indeed, Blessed Mother Teresa says that those who know themselves neither fear disgrace nor honour, because they know who they are.
Yes, one of the ways in which we can always keep life in its proper perspective is to meditate on death, not just the death of someone we love, but especially on our own death. This was why St Paul told the Christians to consider everything in the light of the coming of God’s kingdom. It is when we are conscious of the fact that we can die anytime, whether it is a few days from now or months, then we will stop clinging to all securities in life. We will also surrender our hatred, bitterness and unforgiveness, the achievements, wealth and power we have gained. Why? Because in the face of death, all these mean nothing. We cannot bring them with us. If our last thought on earth is the first thought in the next life, then by not forgiving and letting go of all that is earthly, worldly and sinful, we will only bring them to the next world. If we want to complete our life on earth with great satisfaction, what we would be most concerned with is that we be at peace with our fellowmen and that we will live and spend the rest of our life to the fullest in love and service.
Ultimately, what brings the greatest happiness in life is simply a life of true freedom, making the best of what we have in life, without craving for things that are neither ours or being attached to them. Yes, all things in this world, even you and I, are passing. As someone said, “We pass through this world but once, if there is any good that we can do, let us do it now!” Indeed, let us take to heart the exhortation of St Paul that “those who mourn should live as though they had nothing to mourn for; those who are enjoying life should live as though there were nothing to laugh about; those whose life is buying things should live as though they had nothing of their own; and those who have to deal with the world should not become engrossed in it. I say this because the world as we know it is passing away.”
- See more at: http://www.csctr.net/reflections/#sthash.QX4vuJDp.dpuf