Seldom do one's fears work it's way through someone's speech, voiced thought or statement and find a place inside of you that is both troubled and confused with the conflict brewing inside. When i read the Homily delivered by Pope Benedict XVI at St Peter's Square during his inaugural Mass on April 24 2005, the last two paragraphs did stir me to want to post this here, so that anyone who passes by and feels the same fear would understand that although the fear doesn't cripple us from leading our daily lives, it cripples us from being what we could and can be. Free.
I do subscribe to this thought, i believe it almost manically that we are all free when we are rid of our fears. And as we strive to get there, it is heartening to know that in this maze of human devises and million to one chance of ever knowing whether the utopic unity we all strive for in thought , belief and practice will be acheived - that we are not alone.
And to quote the Homily, "In this way, I too can say with renewed conviction: I am not alone. I do not have to carry alone what in truth I could never carry alone."
The last two paragraphs from the Homily - by Pope Benedict XVI | The Inaugural Mass, Sunday 24 April 2005
"Are we not perhaps all afraid in some way? If we let Christ enter fully into our lives, if we open ourselves totally to him, are we not afraid that He might take something away from us? Are we not perhaps afraid to give up something significant, something unique, something that makes life so beautiful? Do we not then risk ending up diminished and deprived of our freedom? And once again the Pope said: No! If we let Christ into our lives, we lose nothing, nothing, absolutely nothing of what makes life free, beautiful and great.
No! Only in this friendship are the doors of life opened wide. Only in this friendship is the great potential of human existence truly revealed. Only in this friendship do we experience beauty and liberation. And so, today, with great strength and great conviction, on the basis of long personal experience of life, I say to you, dear young people: Do not be afraid of Christ! He takes nothing away, and he gives you everything. When we give ourselves to him,we receive a hundredfold in return. Yes, open, open wide the doors to Christ and you will find true life. Amen."
3 comments:
Hey :)
I guess one's personal choices and one's personal stance on faith are intertwined in more ways than we know. Like i've always said and believed, opening one's arms to faith is more than just the conflicting thoughts we experience when we begin to enmesh our our newfound thoughts and fuel and our belief systems. :)
It's a right royal trip, it is. Honestly, the real reason i posted this out here is for those who feel the compulsion to shun the feelings they have under the deluge of what they beieve...it holds them back in the first place. The fear. There shouldn't be any. Life as it were continues and so does experiences and it can be just fine when we have the ability to be open to faith as well. The fear or obstacle is only us. Belief = rationnalising everything. Faith = lets you jump. With confidence i might add. ;)
Love ya!
Hey Fountainhead,
Well it's great and admirable that you work for an NGO. Some people harrbour a secret need to leave everything they have ever known and venture into something that they only fantasise about in a weak moment (Yes, many I know fantasise about a lot of other things that the regular hot date, man, woman or super star on red carpet).
I guess making a difference differs from perspective and person. Which means your perspective of making a difference is to get out there and get your hands into something that communicates (most importantly to yourself) that you are making a difference.
For others behind the scenes is what makes more sense or works out more effective. Yesterday as i read the Bible I came across a verse that explained to me how important it is to do your part and if the change isn't manifest, and you've tried and been rejected, then you move on and keep the change happening.
Thanks for coming by Fountainhead, keep visiting.
Fist raised in support,
Eliamma
I guess you answered your own thoughts. Sometimes its the best way to understand why the sky is blue or why life is unfair to some and really good to others.
Thought and action are related really. Now like you said contributing funds may not sound like a complete solution (and in all fairness it isn't). But when you zoom out and think about it, small things beget bigger actions, thoughts and ripples. That's the optmists stand (that someone is doing something and it's worth crowing about).
Others don't think its enough and some others (who we'll call the realists or pessimists) say that we're all gonna die anyway so let's just cut out the crap and get on with our lives.
You believe in the greater common good fountainhead, your thoughts and beliefs lead you to react and act on them as you desire. When God said do your best and let me do the rest - in a naive way i could be happy with it and sit on my faith knowing that i mean well and that's the job half done. Now that's plain stupid.
But the last paragraph isn't about just opening your heart to JC or anyone else. But opening your mind to larger possibilities, letting go of larger blocks and accessing new avenues. It is through the letting go that we achieve better understanding of what we can or cannot do.
Greater common good and the need to validate it is a different story and a separate topic.
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