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It's What's Inside that Counts!
" [regarding] ...this precious pearl of contemplation... few of us dispose ourselves that the Lord may communicate it to us. In exterior matters we are proceeding well so that we will reach what is necessary; but in the practice of the virtues that are necessary for arriving at this point [of contemplation] we need very, very much, and cannot be careless in either small or great things..."
St Teresa of Avila, in "The Interior Castle" frm Vol 2 The Collected Works, Washington DC, ICS Publications, 1980, p 336
posted by Holly at 1:00 PM
1 Comments:
St Teresa of Avila tells us Moms two very important things in this passage.
First, she assumes we are doing our work, and tells us this is necessary to reach the depths of intimacy with God which He has planned for us. She considers doing our work - fulfilling the 5 Ps - as an essential requirement of contemplation.
But secondly, she tells us that 'how' we do our work is most important - the interior dispositions which lead to virtue are key to everything.
I can load the dishwasher grumpily. I can load the dishwasher happy. Or I can load the dishwasher as an act of love for God. It is the latter attitude which will dispose us to God's gift of contemplation.
We do not need to concern ourselves with the many virtues and the many ways of practicing each of these virtues. In a way, we'd need a PhD in order to reach holiness this way.
What is most efficacious and the 'speed route' to holiness is to do all things as a response of love to God - "To fall in love with Jesus and seek to please Him." Every moment is ripe with activities we can do just for Him. There is no need to think beyond this as our guide. "I love you - I do this for you - Yes!"
This Lent, when we are called to dismiss self-will and attend to the things of God with greater fidelity, let's realize that, while we must do our work and do it well, that the fruit will come only when we work on the heart of it all - responding in love to God. It is the interior which counts, not just the exterior.
What we do is important, but how we do it is more important...
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