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Dear Sisters and Brothers in
the Lord:
All too often we get caught up in the details of living our lives and
often lose sight of why we are here and where we are headed. I offer you
all an article given in the next several weeks as a reflection on the
meaning of life. It was written by Bruce Elkin and I hope it proves
instructive for you.
Life is a process of
becoming, a combination of states we have to go through. Where people
fail is that they wish to elect a state and remain in it. This is a kind
of death. -- Anaiis Nan, The "Good Life" -- isn't that what we all
long for?
Isn't that what the TV ads and self-help books try to sell us? Isn't
that what the Great Traditions urge us to live? Isn't that what we mean
when we say that quality of life is critical to us? But what is this
good life that we all seem to long for? Is it a life rich in material
pleasures and good but fleeting feelings? A life of getting? Or is it a
fully engaged life? A life of doing, creating and enjoying the deeper,
longer-lasting gratifications that come with being effective in life,
work, and relationships?
Perhaps, for you, the good
life is a meaningful life, a spiritual life; a life of giving, lived in
service of some higher purpose or cause. Or could the good life be the
harmonious, flowing whole that arises out of inter-weaving these three
different but related lives into one? Could each of these lives be a
simple, clear note and the good life the chord that emerges when the
notes are played together in harmony?
The first life is the one we know well; the rich, materially pleasant
life. This life includes the basics of food, rest, shelter and a sense
of control over our lives. It is also rich in the things, comforts, and
conveniences that make life pleasant. When the basics are covered, and
we have enough stuff and pleasure to make life livable, we are able to
stretch beyond this basic form of the good life. We are free to explore
our deeper yearnings and higher aspirations. Two of the most compelling
aspirations we have are to engage life fully and to do so with a mastery
that leads to true competency and effectiveness. A focused, fully
engaged life enables us to challenge ourselves. It enables us to grow by
stretching physically, mentally, emotionally, and inter-personally. It
enables us to discover our strengths and use them in ways that lead to
mastery, flow, and a deep and lasting sense of gratification.
When our lives are rich in simple, healthy pleasures and full of
engagement, we are free to search for spiritual moorings. We can focus
on crafting a deep and authentic sense of purpose. In such a life, we
draw on strengths developed in the earlier lives to undertake challenges
that are larger than ourselves. We expand our sense of self and see
ourselves in service of the greater good. Such an expansion in
perspective and action diminishes our ego. It increases our
connection to the world and to others beyond ourselves. It also produces
a profound sense of contribution and meaning. All three lives are
important. But, too often, as Anaiis Nin cautions, we become attached to
one at the expense of the others. When we do, we over-simplify and
lose much of the richness and greatness of living.
However, a life of healthy pleasures does not have to prevent us from
crafting a fully engaged life. A fully engaged life does not preclude a
life that is rich in meaning and purpose and grounded in a connection to
Spirit. Each of these lives can complement the others. Each includes and
transcends the previous one. By weaving them together we can create a
simple, integrated, and successful life -- the truly good life for
which, I believe, we all so deeply long. Although accumulating material
pleasures is only one aspect of the good life, it is what many people
think is all there is. Our consumer society oversells consumption
unconnected to reality as the whole of life. Big houses, expensive cars
and SUV's, second homes and other examples of non-sustainable
consumption are paraded in front of us, promising happiness and
fulfillment. But this picture is far from the whole truth… (To be
continued next week.)
Et Cetera….
By way of information, I am changing the weekday Mass schedule, as of
September 1 — weekday Mass will be celebrated at 8 am, Monday thru
Friday mornings. During the school year, our children will join us for
Mass on Wednesday mornings.
I thank all for their
continued hospitality and welcome as I continue to unpack and become
familiar with my St. Kieran family.
Let’s give our minds and hearts to the Lord!
Father Joe |
