The supernatural dimension of our life

By Fr. Roy Cimagala *

LET’S always remember that our life is not simply a natural, human life. It is also meant to be supernatural since it is supposed to be a life with God, involved in his work of creation and redemption of mankind, and in the over-all providence he exercises over all his creation.

No wonder then that we can find ourselves at wit’s end as to what and how to do what Christ would ask of us, since there will always be things that would be beyond our powers to carry out.

Remember that episode of Christ telling Peter to go to the deep (duc in altum)? (cfr. Lk 5,1-11) Peter was astounded. “Master, we have worked hard all night and have caught nothing,” he at first said, but rectifying himself because of his faith, Peter said, “but at your command I will lower the nets.” And the miraculous catch took place.

Because of the supernatural dimension of our life, we should see to it that we are always guided by our Christian faith, and not just by our senses and our spiritual powers of intelligence and will, though all these are also indispensable.

We should just go along with what God through Christ and through the different instrumentalities God communicates with us would ask of us, no matter how impossible for us to do, because what is impossible for us is always possible with him.

Like Mary who just said, “Be it done to me according to your word,” when the archangel Gabriel told her she would become the mother of the son of God, we should just believe and accept what is told and given to us, even if we don’t understand the things being asked of us.

That is faith in faith in action, faith which “moves us to believe because of the authority of God himself who reveals them, who can neither deceive nor be deceived.” (CCC 156)

We need to work on our faith in order to keep it alive, vibrant and functional, especially in some difficult if not impossible occasions. We should not be surprised that life and all the challenges and trials we are going to face in it will always demand from us things beyond our powers and resources. And that’s simply because we are meant to go to God for all our needs, without neglecting any effort we can give along the way.

With God, we have everything. As St. Teresa de Avila would put it, “Solo Dios basta!” What we lack in our humanity, we can always make up by relying always and completely on God. 

But, alas, this can happen only when we have faith, for faith is our best resource. As St. John puts it in his first letter, “This is the victory that overcomes the world, our faith.” (Jn 5,4) Without faith, we are left with a big problem right from the start.

As Christians, we should readily realize that our life should not just be our own life, but rather always a life with God. And since God is supernatural, then our life also ought to be supernatural without, of course, compromising what is natural to us. Thus, there is a need for us to develop a desire, a liking, an appetite for the supernatural life, i.e., a life with God. And this means we have to have faith, that brings with it hope and charity.

* Chaplain Center for Industrial Technology and Enterprise (CITE), Talamban, Cebu City

Email: roycimagala@gmail.com