Tuesday, January 04, 2011

New Year! New Me?

That was the first question I asked myself the moment I realized it’s already a new year. Can I really fair even better this time around?

Lest I’d be misunderstood, Id’ like to stress that I’m not after worldly honors e.g. new get up, new personality or even a new religion! Absolutely no! It’s about being a little step closer to God and the Blessed Virgin Mary.

I know I scored better last year but still, it wasn’t good. Rather, I know it wasn’t my best yet. So now, I’m starting again eliminating the bad things in me. But which one is first? This impatience or that tepidity? This pop music or that nicey movie? It’s not easy to discern since somewhere along, I know I’d be falling on the same plane again - half half on either side. Well, there must be a remedy for this. And I better figure it out. I must figure it out.

In his sermon last Sunday, I was touched on how Fr. MacPherson related man’s gradual falling to something bad and eventually leading him to the wrong path. Without grace, man can easily be led astray. At first, you dread the bad thing, then you pitied it, then as time comes, you embrace it unknowingly. He sounded logical since human intellect tells us that you pity something that’s dreadful and of course, pitying something would naturally bring you into half accepting it and soon into wholly accepting it. [This can never be an act of charity since God is charity. And everything that belongs to God is good. Therefore, charity is asking us to love the sinner and not the sin. But in the previous formula, man ended loving both the sinner and the sin which again would bring us to contradiction with the meaning of charity.]

Such was the thing I needed most. And I felt like God was talking right exactly to my heart. He wanted me to pursue my plans of being more sanctified and pious. Never mind how many times I’ve fallen. What matters most is that sincerity of heart to ask pardon at the confessional and at the same time to strive harder to be better.

As this year commences, I shall always keep in mind his sermon. I know I might get easily distracted with all those worldliness around, but with his sermon on mind, I shall always look back to consider my soul very carefully. Things can be easier said than done - hence I wouldn’t be boastful that I’ll be doing my best now but just a little better this time. As hastiness makes waste, I shall only be glad to obligingly walk the speed Our Lady asks me to do so as to attain that holiness that Our Lord expects from me.

Oh Blessed Virgin, Mother of God, grant me the grace to keep the pace of sanctity constantly and wholeheartedly. I humbly beg thee to teach me when I’m confused, strengthen me when I’m tempted, and most especially to assist me wherever my feet tread on and whatever my life’s circumstances will be! Amen.

1 comment:

GabrielIreneus said...

Where sin abounds grace abounds more according to st. Paul. Faithful catholics are very sensitive in worldliness as as bait and sin as hook of the devil. No matter how many one falls if following God there is always hope by clinging to Our Lady.