Vigilant and fruitful

By Fr. Roy Cimagala *

BECAUSE we can easily be confused and entangled in the drama of our life, we should see to it that we are always vigilant and fruitful, so that we avoid losing our proper focus and the sense of purpose of our whole life.

The focus should always be God and how to relate everything to him, glorifying him. This should always be in our mind, whatever the circumstance and situation we may find ourselves in at a given moment.

For this, we have to make use of some effective plan of life, with the proper attitude and spirit. and relevant and functioning practices of piety. Given the complexity of our life today, with all the rapid and sophisticated developments emerging, we should be ready to face the challenge.

We need to be always vigilant, in good times and in bad times, and most especially in ordinary times which we still would not know whether it is good or bad. We should never let our guard down. From time to time, let’s pause to see if we are still keeping our proper bearings and outlook.

This is simply because we have enemies to contend with all the time. First of all, it is our own selves, our own weakened flesh that will always lure us to do things against God’s will and against what is truly good for us.

Then we have the world with all its sinful attractions and temptations. And, of course, the devil himself. Never discount him. He’s always around, prowling like a lion looking for someone to devour. (cfr 1 Pt 5,8)

In what may seem to be good times, when things are more or less ok, let us thank God and do our best to make use of all the blessings and good opportunities made available for us. 

But let’s not forget that the good things can also cause dangers for us if we are not careful. We should know where those dangers lie in the good things that we may enjoy at the moment. In that way, we avoid falling into complacency that will practically spoil us, and take away the goodness of the blessings we are enjoying.

Everyday, we should be keenly aware that we need to be fruitful and productive also. That’s simply because even from the beginning of our creation in Adam and Eve, this has always been God’s will for us.

“Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it,” (Gen 1,28) God told our first parents, clearly outlining his mandate to them. It’s a mandate that continues to be repeated up to now. Christ himself said as much.

We have to realize that God has already given us everything that we need, not only to survive but also to improve our lot that ultimately translates into realizing the fullness of our dignity as image and likeness of God, as children of his.

In this regard, we truly should be most enterprising, coming up with daily plans and strategies such that at the end of the day, when we make our examination of conscience, we can show God that we have gained something, and that the daily balance sheet of our spiritual life is in the black, not in the red.

We have to realize that the capitalization of this enterprise cannot be any better. God has given us everything—life, talents, intelligence, freedom, all kinds of capacities, his graces, etc.

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

Email: roycimagala@gmail.com