Everything can be an occasion

Fr. Roy Cimagala

FOR anything, that is. Since we are intelligent and free beings, we can turn everything in our life into an occasion for good or evil. But if we have the proper understanding of the purpose of our life here on earth, we should realize that everything can be and should be an occasion to know, love and serve God, or to pursue holiness.

Thus, whether in the twists and turns of our life we can be considered as heroes or villains, winners or losers, successful or failing, we have to always remember that we are all called to become saints.

And the nice thing about this is that all the events and conditions in our life, in all their vast variety, can precisely be turned into occasions to attain a degree of sanctity. Everything is relatable to God. It’s a matter of how to react to them—whether we react with faith and trust in God or we simply react in a purely human way, reliant only on our human powers.

We need to understand that all our human conditions, whether good or bad, big or small, extraordinary or ordinary, etc., have already been covered by Christ’s redemptive life and do have the potential to lead us to him. Even our mistakes and failures can lead us to God.

If our status is considered as humanly good, then let’s be thankful to God, remain humble and focus on sharing as widely as possible whatever good we have. If our status is otherwise, then let’s turn to God just the same, perhaps asking for mercy, for more blessing, and just try to be patient in going through unavoidable inconveniences of the condition.

We have to learn to see the hand of God behind every event and circumstance of our life. We have to learn to discern his will and the directions he is showing us through them. There’s always a reason for everything in our life. And God knows how to make use of it.

We should not be distracted from doing what is truly essential in life, irrespective of the circumstances. This is the only thing necessary in our life. All the others are the peripherals, the instruments and the occasions to achieve this one thing necessary.

Let’s remember that God is always around, his providence is abiding, his interventions in our life are actually constant. We just have to be more aware of this truth of our faith and correspond to it as fully as possible.

God can always derive something good even from our mistakes. What is impossible to us is always possible to him. He can write straight with crooked lines.

Thus, St. Paul tells us: “Whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” (1 Cor 10,31) This is what we have to learn to do always. Especially now when our world is getting increasingly complicated, generating a lot of problems, differences and conflicts among ourselves, this frame of mind is getting more and more relevant.

The good thing about all this is that we can remain calm and more focused on what we are supposed to be doing. We will always find meaning in everything, whether we are up or down in our earthly condition.

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Inspiring and motivating. These, I believe, are what are involved in educating and forming the youth. Of course, we have to use all the necessary human means, like giving classes and conducting exams, giving them talks, suggestions and even corrections.

But we should not forget that what truly matters is to inspire and to motivate them. That’s because these go directly to the soul of the individuals where the radical transformation and development of a person takes place. It’s in the spiritual sphere where the real action takes place.

This can mean many things. For one, we should be available to them as long and as often as necessary. We need to spend time with them and cultivate real friendship and bonding. Given the way the young people usually behave, we should be willing to “waste” time with them and to adapt ourselves to their language and ways. I am sure it will be all worthwhile. It’s good investment.

We have to give them good example in a consistent manner all the time. Giving example is the best teacher. Just the same, we should be ready and clear to tell or show them something to edify them. There’s definitely a need for continuing catechesis so that true values proper to our human and Christian dignity can slowly and steadily sink in.

We need to enter into their mind and heart, imparting with gift of tongue the truths of our faith with respect to life in general. This would include forming the proper attitude toward religion, toward family and work, use of time, human sexuality, virtues like hard work, order, prudence, humility, etc.

The right strategies have to be employed, considering how each person is—his temperament and character, his intellectual and emotional capacity, his social and economic status, etc.

We need to be quick to identify the problem areas in their life. Many of these young people bear many doubts in their mind. They lack self-esteem and often are unsure of their judgments and decisions. There can be a lot of inconsistency in the many aspects of life. Definitely, the unity of life is not yet there. It still has to be developed.

We have to teach them how to deal with their problems, difficulties, challenges, temptations, failures and sins. Of course, it goes without saying also that they need to be taught how to handle their victories and successes. The young people usually overeact to these events in their lives.

We should also be quick to discern the potentials they have. Each one, for sure, is born with some innate qualities that need to be developed and actualized to the full. With respect to this, it is important that we help them discover the concrete vocation each of them has. This matter is very crucial because it is fundamental in life, one that affects all the aspects of one’s life.

This will definitely require a lot of effort and patience, something whose source can ultimately come from God. Thus, we should be generous in our prayers and sacrifices, study of the doctrine, growing in the virtues and active in our own ascetical struggles, recourse to the sacraments, etc. This is because we cannot give what we do not have.

Let’s hope that one day all of us who have young people under our care be good and competent inspirers and motivators!

E-mail: roycimagala@gmail.com