WEEK 10: “Action and contemplation”
Jesus Christ is calling us to follow Him and hear the good news to understand the true purpose of our stay on this earth. And as we accept His calling, He will then send us into the world to preach the Gospel.
listen
think
In the moments of our day-to-day life, we tend to forget the life of a contemplative and become too much of an activist. All great deeds and all strong persons are made with withdrawal and detachment. We need to withdraw from the lives that we have in order to contemplate and be close to our Lord Jesus Christ. And at this time of withdrawal is the hour where we face and fight Satan. As Christ was tempted in the desert, so too the followers of Christ went into the desert and followed our Creator’s example. We must withdraw, not because the world around us is bad, but because we need to fight Satan and be close to our Lord.
As we contemplate, we must understand that our actions can at first have good intentions. But, as we leave our active and busy lives we tend to lose track of time and forget the reasons for our activism. We must detach ourselves from our actions and know that what we are doing is for the glory of God and the love of neighbor and not for ourselves. In history, some kind of detachment is necessary before action. The first word of Jesus Christ in public life was “come” and His last was “go and preach the Gospel’. We must keep ourselves Christo-centric for we are the bearers of Christ and we must become a reflection of Christ onto others, while at the same time seeing Christ in other people.
pray
The Invocations to Christ Our Lord
Lord Christ, Son of the living God, you humble yourself by becoming like us that we might become like you. You lodge in the womb of the Virgin Mary for us and for our salvation. You were born in the cave of Bethlehem to teach us humility and love of poverty. You were adored by shepherds and wise men and taught us to worship you in our hearts. You were present in the temple to teach us to surrender ourselves to you.
You were baptized by John in the Jordan and created the sacrament of our rebirth. You spent your life proclaiming the Good News and filled our hearts with joy. You went about doing good in Galilee and Judea, driving out demons, healing the sick, and raising the dead.
You submitted to suffering and death for our sake to save us from all sin and danger. You died on the cross for bitter pain to set us free from sin and death. You were buried in noble Joseph’s tomb to give us confidence and hope. You rose again on the third day to fill us with new life and full joy. You ascended into heaven to raise our hearts on high. You are seated at the right hand of the Father to intercede for us, now and for ever.
Glory to you, O Lord, glory to you!
Amen.
Resources
“A Beginners Book of Prayer” Compiled by William G. Storey, published by Loyola Press (Pg. 72).
act
- Is life only one big emotional kick for you? We must come down from the mountain and see the reality of the world.
- We must understand that not everyone is joyful, for Christ is not with them and it is for us Christians to show the true joy that Christ gives in our lives.
- There are times that we must partake in the obligations that we have in life but there must be moments where we must sit at Jesus Christ’s feet.
Meet Isaac, Our Spiritual Guide for these Reflections
My name is Isaac Padriga. I was born in the Philippines and came to the states in 2006. One of my favorite daily activities is practicing filipino martial arts or Eskrima (fencing). It is basically shadow boxing with a stick 🙂 I enjoy the thoughtless flow of motion while performing and executing the various movements . My catholic faith is an important aspect of my life for it is the truth, mystery and guidance that helps me navigate through the ongoing uncertainties and challenges of the secular world. I also have two dogs, one mixed maltipoo/shih tzu, named Molly, and a mixed australian shepherd/labrador, named Copper. And finally, I also like to put two shots of espresso in my lemonade. -_-
Cal Poly Pomona Catholic Newman Club 