By Fr. Roy Cimagala *
WE need to realize more deeply the crucial role of doing the
will of God in our life. We have to understand that it is doing God’s
will that would make us his image and likeness as we are meant to be.
It’s how we live our life with God, as it is meant to be. This truth
of faith should be very clear in our mind and should be made an
operative principle in our daily life.
We are reminded of this truth of our faith when Christ
talked about the two sons who were asked by their father to work in
the vineyard. (cfr. Mt 21,28-32) The first said, yes, but actually did
not go, while the second said, no, but eventually went.
Christ concluded, of course, that of the two, it was the
second who did the father’s will which is what is truly important.
It’s an episode in the gospel that somehow wants to convey the truth
that it is in obeying and doing God’s will that we truly become his
image and likeness.
No wonder then that Christ said that the greatest
commandment is to love God with our whole heart, which, in concrete
terms, means that we have to carry out God’s commandments. St. John in
his first letter said as much: “This is the love of God, that we keep
his commandments.” (5,3)
We have to find ways of how we can always feel the impulse
and the urge to be guided by God’s will and commandments rather than
simply guided by our own will. We have to realize more deeply that our
will cannot and should not be working simply on its own, and that by
working on its own puts it in a dangerous condition. Our will needs to
be always referred to and be animated by God’s will.
For this purpose, we may have to develop certain practices
of piety that would help us in this direction. Like, spending time in
prayer, in meditation, in regularly reading the contemplating the
gospel, in rectifying our intentions, referring them always to God. We
have to develop virtues like humility, detachment, holy purity,
patience and optimism, fortitude, etc.
Very important in this regard would be to familiarize
ourselves with the teaching, deeds and the very life of Christ
himself, fully convinced that he is the very pattern of our humanity.
We have to make Christ alive in us to such an extent that we can truly
say that we are “alter Christus,” another Christ, as we are meant to
be.
In this regard, we have to be convinced that our life should
also be a liturgical life, since it is in the liturgy where the whole
mystery of Christ and his redemptive work is made present and
effective in our life. It is in the liturgy, especially in the Holy
Mass, where we can most fittingly do our part in corresponding to that
whole mystery of Christ and his mission. It’s where we can be one with
him, sharing in his redemptive mission.
We need to feel the need for doing a widespread catechesis
on this truth of our faith. With gift of tongue and making use of
today’s powerful technologies, let us reach out to others, leading
them to realize the crucial role that doing and living God’s will has
in our life.
Just like what St. Paul once said, we have to “preach the
Word, be prepared in season and out of season…” (2 Tim 4)
* Chaplain Center for Industrial Technology and Enterprise (CITE), Talamban, Cebu City
Email: roycimagala@gmail.com
