Always Remember Who You Are...

  
“You formed my inmost being;

you knit me in my mother's womb.

I praise you, so wonderfully you made me;

wonderful are your works!

My very self you knew;

my bones were not hidden from you,

When I was being made in secret,

fashioned as in the depths of the earth.

Your eyes foresaw my actions;

in your book all are written down;

my days were shaped,

before one came to be.”

(Psalm 139:13-16, NAB)

Over the last couple of days, I was simply reflecting on a little book by a Dutch-born Catholic priest, Henri Jozef Machiel Nouwen...an extremely very gifted writer – “Life of the Beloved: Spiritual Living in a Secular World.”

This is just a simple sharing of my quiet reflection...

Amidst all the rushing, working and doing, we tend to not have much time for our dear selves.  Just remember who you are...a very special person...deeply loved by God and all the people who are here on this journey with you...and the ones you meet along the way.

Not to be able to feel loved by those who gave us life will result in us dwelling in low self esteem that can easily lead to anger, impatience, hopelessness, depression and despair.

When the journey is rough and life is burdensome, always remember that you are loved with an everlasting love.  We belong to a loving God who will never leave us alone...but will remind us constantly that we are guided by His loving hands on every step of our journey through life.

At times when we are thrown about, up and down by the tiny waves on the surface of our existence, we become easy victims of our manipulative and seductive world.  For those who are trapped in the values and priorities of the world, we hear so much blaming and complaining in a spirit of passive resignation...feeling like victims of the world we cannot change...an inner restlessness that continually stirs up feelings and emotions of us being not-good-enough, evil, bad, worthless, rotten, doomed to illness and death, useless...the list goes on and on.

These negative voices are sometimes so loud and persistent that it is often easy to believe them...naturally, beneath all our human arrogance and ego!

St Augustine reminds us in our journey that, “my soul is restless until it rests in you, O God.”  When God no longer have (or never had) any influence over us and our lives...on our journey...on the waves of our lives...then all our vitality will eventually evaporate...we will become listless, frustrated, dull and bored even when we are busy with all our “doings”.

Our own human arrogance and ego often destroys us.  It prevents us from seeing, hearing, feeling and sensing...becoming “conscious” of how blessed we actually are.  Amidst all the “noise”, compulsiveness and “busi-ness” (read ‘busy’), we cannot hear the whisper...that soft gentle inner Voice that blesses our lives so that we can journey through life with a stable sense of well-being and true belonging.

This Voice comes to us in countless of ways...the very voice that is sounded by your parents, friends, colleagues, teachers, students, priest, spouse, children, blogs, books and the many strangers who cross your path...including the Sacred Scriptures...the Word of God.

This Voice can simply be heard in the quiet...by the ear of faith...the ear of the inner heart...an inner active attentiveness and consciousness of the Beloved God...the Spirit within us.

The world has changed, many people say...but the problem of modern living in this day and age is that we are simply too busy...perhaps looking for affirmation of “who we are” in the wrong places?

There is simply so much that still has to be done, so many tasks to finish, assignments to complete, deadlines to meet and jobs to work on that being simply present and quiet seem (or is perceived to be) useless and even a total waste of our time.

How then can be hear and listen to God if we do not “waste our time”?

First and foremost, we ourselves must acknowledge that we are indeed children of God...we are God’s chosen ones...we are loved and belong exclusively to God...we existed in God’s loving heart long before we were conceived and came to birth...long before our parents held us...our friends know us...we have been individually chosen from the very beginning of time! Each and every one of us have been chosen by God.

“...a great spiritual mystery: To be chosen does not mean that others are rejected. It is very hard to conceive of this in a competitive world such as ours.” – Henri J M Nouwen

In knowing that we are indeed chosen and loved by God, Henri Nouwen further enlightens us that, “what seemed intolerable becomes a challenge. What seemed a reason for depression becomes a source of purification. What seemed punishment becomes a gentle pruning. What seemed rejection becomes a way to a deeper communion” which each of us yearns so much, deep within our being.

By the grace of God, only with this gift of awareness and consciousness...we stop clinging to life for our own selfish reasons and desires...we stop reacting aimlessly to the world around us.

We become attentive to the loving God who has chosen us and “planted” us on this journey...to make this world a little better.  Throughout this short journey back home, every time we reach out...every time we respond to the Voice...we know that our every little action of love and peace will ripple out into wider circles – just like a tiny pebble thrown into a calm still pond.

Only then, will our brief and simple journey through this world touch the lives of others with love...give life to people...our “death” will then have given others hope and new life...our “death” will ultimately set us free to arrive home to meet God.

“...O LORD, you have probed me,

you know me: you know when I sit and stand;

you understand my thoughts from afar.

My travels and my rest you mark;

with all my ways you are familiar.

Even before a word is on my tongue,

Lord, you know it all.

Behind and before you encircle me

and rest your hand upon me.

Such knowledge is beyond me,

far too lofty for me to reach.

Where can I hide from your spirit?

From your presence, where can I flee?”

(Psalm 139:1-7, NAB)

Blogging into The Quiet Abyss…

“However, take care and be earnestly on your guard not to forget the things which your own eyes have seen, nor let them slip from your memory as long as you live, but teach them to your children and to your children's children.” (Deuteronomy 4:9, NAB)

The journey towards Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent, can be long and winding for many, not to mention forgetful, at times as we go about daily attending to various tasks.  My thoughts, so many of them, seem to be shifting focus from one end to the other…as I too struggle to calm myself...prepare myself for a meaningful holy season. 


One particular article caught my eye…Blogging on the decline among the younger generation, it reads.  Previously, it was the death of bookshops as reading was said to be on the decline; actually reading from a 'real' physical book!  

The new generation 'types' or 'copy & paste' more than they write and 'scrolls' or 'google' more than they visit a real library, 'saves' instead of file.



Traditional folks like me still prefer the old rustic bookshop, flipping through the pages and jotting down my thoughts in a notebook.

Being amongst the crowd of book lovers, yet feeling simply alone with the bound book in your hands...reading into the thoughts of someone...sharing in the journey of others. 


I still love reading spiritual books and writing...although in many ways, 'surfing' (on the web, that is) does enhance my love of the former two.

“To my surprise, I never lost the ability to write. In fact, writing became part of my struggle for survival. It gave me the little distance from myself that I needed to keep from drowning in my despair.”
-Henri Nouwen

Many young people have also shy away from blogging or web logging, migrating towards online expressive social networks like Facebook and Twitter; making many new instant ‘friends’ and being ‘liked’ many, many times over, instant messaging, online games and virtual world.


While technology is not exactly bad, the world we journey in today is drowned with data, chronicles of information and gadgets that supports us to keep up with everything on the super e-highway.


I hear from many youths who boast that they have hundreds and thousands of ‘friends’ or 'followers' connected to their Facebook account.  What does this mean?  Popularity?  Boost to the ego?  Growing up has never been the same in this modern day and age…

Like it or not, youths of today all ‘live’ in a world of instant gratification – fast food, instant microwave meals, YouTubes, iPhone downloads, instant ‘friends’, followers, cyber-pals, etc, etc.

Who wants to put deep old-fashioned thoughts into each and every blog post when it is not even certain that anyone ‘out there’ is listening or ‘following’; blogging into the abyss sounds quite daunting to many these days.  Blogging seem to be dying a slow and natural death as the world progresses.


Why then do people like me still choose to blog?  For one, I am long-winded with words and blogging suits me fine to express my thoughts.  I am sure everyone has their own personal reasons.

Blogging or cyber-journaling, as I would term it, pens my own simple journey towards God…at a point of my life when there’s just too many things going on around me and I am trying to stay spiritually sane.  Another more noble reason could be to leave a legacy behind for those who know me, perhaps my children.

Blogging an online spiritual journal allows me to be real with myself and to also share the hidden treasures of my heart with others.  Thus far, my journaling has been quite a self discovery for me.  I find that I enter into this quiet and calm meditative state of serenity with God, listening, revealing my thoughts to Him, although He already knows it all before it even reaches my lips, in this case, my fingers hitting the keyboard!

“O LORD, you have probed me,

you know me:

you know when I sit and stand;

you understand my thoughts from afar.

My travels and my rest you mark;

with all my ways you are familiar.

Even before a word is on my tongue,

LORD, you know it all.” (Psalm 139:1-4, NAB)

Before the blogging days, my experiences would often breeze through without me taking even a glimpse of my thoughts, reactions, insights and feelings…my soul…not bothered in remembering what God has done in my life or the blessings showered upon me and my family…more pre-occupied with the doing, chasing, reacting, achieving, directing, working…


This blog has helped me to be more aware of my own spiritual journey and disciplined me to savor simple thoughts within my heart as they quietly pass by.  It has prompt me to pay more attention to God, see with new eyes what God has been doing, touch God in the gentle breeze and see how God has blessed me in my life.

“...but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake; and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a sound of sheer silence. 

When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave.

Then there came a voice to him that said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?””  (1 Kings 19: 11-13, NRSV)

Today, SimplyQuiet, a relatively young blog journal, acts like a mirror, reflecting my own life journey back to me, my weaknesses, my imperfections - providing me with a place to explore, learn more of God, a good sounding board for me to learn and deepen my own spiritual life, to sustain me in seeking God under all circumstances…more importantly, I hope, shed some light to brighten up others’ path...

Journaling on the blogosphere also allows me to be more descriptive in landscaping my own journey so that many others who walk the same path may know, may recognize…that our life’s journey have much in common and through this avenue of simple sharing…others may walk this path a little easier, less burdened, knowing that there are others who have already passed by.

Scripture discloses a God who, even when rejected and abandoned, still keeps believing in human beings, loving them to the end and doing all in His power to awaken their trust.

I pray that this humble journal, SimplyQuiet, can also play a small part where God can invite you personally to trust in His love, to place your confidence in Him and to follow Him into a communion that will have no end.Lent is a time for self discovery, discovering God within all our imperfections and sharing and journeying towards God...seeing and finding God in everything.

Under a leaf, in a snowflake

In a blade of grass, in a raindrop

All parts of nature

In your parents’ loving embrace

In the phone call from your grandparents

All family relationships

In working and sharing with others

In helping the unfortunate

All volunteering jobs

Where are you able to find God?

Lord, help me to find you in all ways and walks of life.

Amen.

Simply Let God Bring You Home...

Today, I simply share the quote from the late Henri Jozef Machiel Nouwen, a Catholic priest and writer, born in the Netherlands. 

His quiet reflection continues to be very meaningful and relevant to me...also for our pondering as we journey together towards Lent.



“For most of my life I have struggled to find God, to know God, to love God.

I have tried hard to follow the guidelines of the spiritual life—pray always, work for others, read the Scriptures—and to avoid the many temptations to dissipate myself.

I have failed many times but always tried again, even when I was close to despair.





Now I wonder whether I have sufficiently realized that during all this time God has been trying to find me, to know me, and to love me.

The question is not “How am I to find God?” but “How am I to let myself be found by him?”



The question is not “How am I to know God?” but “How am I to let myself be known by God?”

And, finally, the question is not “How am I to love God?” but “How am I to let myself be loved by God?”

God is looking into the distance for me, trying to find me, and longing to bring me home.”

- Henri J. M. Nouwen, The Return of the Prodigal Son: A Story of Homecoming

Our Loneliness...only Jesus Can Satisfy...

 
"History is full of men who have claimed that they came from God, or that they were gods, or that they bore messages from God - Buddha, Mohammed, Confucius, Christ, Lao-tze, and thousands of others, right down to the person who founded a new religion this very day.  Each of them has a right to be heard and considered.  But as a yardstick external to and outside of whatever is to be measured is needed, so there must be some permanent tests available to all men, all civilizations, and all ages, by which they can decide whether any one of these claimants, or all of them, are justified in their claims.  These tests are of two kinds: reason and history.  Reason, because everyone has it, even those without faith; history, because everyone lives in it and should know something about it.

Reason dictates that if any one of these men actually came from God, the least thing that God could do to support His claim would be to pre-announce His coming.

Reason further assures us that if God did not do this, then there would be nothing to prevent any impostor from appearing in history and saying, "I come from God," or "An angel appeared to me in the desert and gave me this message."

(History have shown)...in whom but Christ have these Prophecies found their fulfillment?"

 - Fulton Sheen

 One of the least talked about sources of human suffering in the world today is loneliness.  In the chaotic and busy society of today, we find ourselves acutely aware of our own human loneliness.  In the hussle and buzzle of the new year, we quietly become aware of our loneliness within.  Why is it that many Christmas gatherings and New Year parties, even social get-togethers often leave us feeling empty and restless inside?

We are amidst people yet, we feel alone inside.  We talk to people yet, we are not trusting enough to open ourselves or let others into our lives.  We choose to keep a safe distance.  We work with people yet, there is always a sense of competition to outwit the other, claim victory.  We take home big paychecks, yet money cannot seem to buy us anything worthy enough to satisfy the restlessness within.  We make new year resolutions yet, the years come and go and we continue to ask ourselves, "How far advanced am I?  Who am I?"  We socialize at gatherings, make friends, but how many of these are sincere and faithful during the times when we are in need, when we are broke, when we need a shoulder to cry on, when life threatens to end abruptly.

 "When we have no project to finish, no friend to visit, no book to read, no television to watch, or no record to play, and when we are left all alone by ourselves we are brought so close to the revelation of our basic human aloneness and are so afraid of experiencing an all-pervasive sense of loneliness that we will do anything to get busy again and continue the game which makes us believe that everything is fine after all."
- Henri Nouwen

 I, too, often pose myself this question, why do I choose to blog?  More than anything, I like to read and drown myself in spiritual books.  I find that despite all the so-called progress in the world today, we have still not progress much in terms of enlightenment and spiritual wisdom.  Brilliant minds of the past, the early fathers, saints and mystics have shed much wisdom through their reflections and literary works.  These thoughts, perceived as "old fashion" have long been "opportunity costed" out in the name of progress...to the extent that the new generations forget to stop and ponder deeply..."Who am I?".

Naturally, the journey I have begun, continues regardless.  In the words of an early desert father, John of the Ladder back in the 7th century, after living for 40 years in solitary at Mount Sinai...

"If some are still dominated by their former bad habits and yet can teach (blog) by mere words, let them teach (blog)...  For perhaps, being put to shame by their own words, they will eventually begin to practice what they teach (blog)."

I know that I will journey to become a more "spiritually conscious" person if I continue to persevere, reflect, share and express my thoughts via this blog, simply giving a small voice to the quiet imperfect whispers of my heart and hopefully, this little "light" will reach out and touch a restless soul somewhere to offer a bit more strength for them to continue this journey a little while longer, the burden a little lighter, the path a little brighter.  More importantly, it also serves as a journal for myself as I walk this lonely path through life towards the heavenly home.

Loneliness and the awareness of the fragility of life is not something to be feared.  The secular world does not like to confront these thoughts, as evident by the constant stream of "activities", "tasks"and "technology devices".  Blogs and Facebooks only reveal our outer more popular physical selves most of the time...attracting more "friends", "followers" and "noisy internet traffic".

Our human condition constantly seek solace, solitude, affection, a sense of belonging, even escapade from the challenges of life...desperately piggy-bagging our lives on the influence of new-age gurus, motivational authors, self proclaimed pastors and speakers.  False expectations, temporal attraction, mental anguish, struggle for power syndrome in these flavours-of-the-month often frustrate us, confuse us.  Each time we seek something new, we hope it will be different.  We keep on experimenting on this journey through life.  Is there not something more genuine that can satisfy this hunger, give everlasting peace, solitude, compassion and hope to this life?

Saint Augustine reminds us, "Thou hast made us for thyself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they find their rest in thee."

As the new year commences, we are reminded to empty our lives from the distractions of worldly material pursuits and fake relationships...to focus instead on seeking Him who gives healing, rest, peace and hope; turning loneliness into solitude of heart, even amidst the crowded city, busyness at work, self inflicted deadlines and active life.  Simply cultivating this quiet solitude of heart enables us to understand the world from the quiet center of our being, living attentively in communion with our God, the Creator.


"And you shall be my people: and I will be your God." (Jeremiah 30:22 - Douay-Rheims Bible)


This year, let us call out the Holy Name of Jesus Christ and invite Him into our lives to quieten our restlessness, bring hopeful meaning to our lives and truly satisfy our deep spiritual hunger. May He make us all a channel of His Peace...in this life...as we journey home to eternal life...

Bishop Fulton Sheen goes on to say, "There is no such thing as living without a cross.  We are free only to choose between crosses.  Will it be the Cross of (Jesus) Christ which redeems us from our sins, or will it be the double cross..." (of the secular world we live in?)

Respond...this new year...make the beautiful words in the Nicene Creed come alive...

We believe in one God,
the Father, the Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth
of all that is seen and unseen.
We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ,
the only Son of God,
eternally begotten of the Father,
God from God, Light from Light,
true God from true God,
begotten,
not made,
one in Being with the Father.

Through Him all things were made.
For us men and for our salvation
He came down from heaven;
by the power of the Holy Spirit
He was born of the Virgin Mary,
and became man.

For our sake
He was crucified under Pontius Pilate;
He suffered died, and was buried.
On the third day
He rose in fulfillment of the Scriptures;
He ascended into heaven
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.

He will come again in glory
to judge the living and the dead,
and his kingdom will have no end.
We believe in the Holy Spirit,
the Lord, the giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father and the Son.
With the Father and the Son
He is worshiped and glorified.
He has spoken through the Prophets.
We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church.
We acknowledge one baptism
for the forgiveness of sins.

We look for the resurrection of the dead,
and the life of the world to come.
Amen.

A New Year 2011...A New Heart...A New Hope...

“...Rise thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead: and Christ shall enlighten thee.”
– Ephesians 5:14, Douay-Rheims Bible

"Waking up is unpleasant, you know. You are nice and comfortable in bed. It's irritating to be woken up. That's the reason the wise guru will not attempt to wake people up. I hope I'm going to be wise here and make no attempt whatsoever to wake you up if you are asleep. It is really none of my business, even though I say to you at times, "Wake up!" My business is to do my thing, to dance my dance. If you profit from it, fine; if you don't, too bad! As the Arabs say, "The nature of rain is the same, but it makes thorns grow in the marshes and flowers in the gardens."

- Anthony De Mello, SJ

As I take a closer step into the New Year 2011, I am reminded by a Jesuit priest that I must always stay awake of God’s presence in my journey through life. I will choose to constantly cultivate and nurture a heart that knows God and a heart that is alive with love. This realization, I pray, will lead to a more total inner transformation and more hope for the coming year. From the beautiful reflections by the Catholic priest and writer, Father Henri Nouwen, I humbly quote…

“We lived in a world where people don’t know much about hope. We know about wishes. The whole Christmas period is full of wishes. I wish this, or I want that. It’s very concrete: I want a toy or a car or a new job. These are all very specific requests.

But hope is precisely to say, “I don’t know how God is going to fulfil His promises, but I know that He will, and therefore I can live in the presence with the knowledge that He is with me.” I can then know and trust that the deepest desires of my being will be fulfilled. This way keeps the future very open.

Hope has nothing to do with optimism. Many people think that hope is optimism, looking at the positive side of life. But Jesus doesn’t speak like that at all. When Jesus talks about the future or the end of the world, He describes wars, people in anguish, nation rising against nation, and earthquakes.

There’s no place where Jesus says, “One day it will all be wonderful.” He talks about enormous agony, but He says, “You, you (my beloved ones) pray unceasingly that you will keep your heart focused on Me. Stand with your head erect in the presence of the Son of Man. Don’t get distracted by it all. Remain focused.” Don’t think that things will clean up, and finally there won’t be any more pain. Jesus is saying that the world is dark, and will remain dark.

If you live with hope, you can live very much in the present because you can nurture the footprints of God in your heart and life. You already have a sense of what is to come. And the whole of the spiritual life is saying that God is right with us, right now, so that we can wait for His coming, and this waiting is a waiting in hope. But because we wait with hope we know that what we are waiting for is already here. We have to nurture that.

Here and now matters because God is a God of the present. And God is God of the present because He is God of Eternity.

Hope is to open yourself up to let God do His work in you in ways that transcend your imagination. As Jesus said, “When you are young you put your own belt on and went where you wanted to go. But when you grow spiritually old, then you stretch out your hands and let others and God lead you where you rather wouldn’t go.” That’s hope, to let yourself be led to new places.”

“Hope means to keep living

amid desperation

and to keep humming

in the darkness

Hoping is knowing that there is love

it is trust in tomorrow

it is falling asleep

and waking again

when the sun rises.

In the midst of a gale at sea,

it is to discover land.

In the eyes of another

it is to see that you are understood.

As long as there is still hope

There will also be prayer

And God will be holding you

in God’s hands.”

With this assurance, I must wake up as God continues to prompt me in the quietness of my heart to simply place all my trust in Him.

To all fellow pilgrims, I bid you a Blessed New Year 2011 filled with New Consciousness, New Awareness…most of all a New Hope for a New Life.

Waves of Life...

"As soon as we are alone,...inner chaos opens up in us. This chaos can be so disturbing and so confusing that we can hardly wait to get busy again. Entering a private room and shutting the door, therefore, does not mean that we immediately shut out all our inner doubts, anxieties, fears, bad memories, unresolved conflicts, angry feelings and impulsive desires. On the contrary, when we have removed our outer distraction, we often find that our inner distraction manifest themselves to us in full force. We often use the outer distractions to shield ourselves from the interior noises. This makes the discipline of solitude all the more important."

— Henri J.M. Nouwen


In the quiet inner silence, we contemplate on the present and the truth of who we are will be revealed in time. This time of silence can either be voluntarily taken amidst all our busy-ness or forced upon us by some terminal disease or even death within the family or loved ones.

When we choose to carry and surf the wave of faith and hope, living life simply in the solitude of our hearts, always pondering on the present, being grateful for what we have, seeing the goodness in others - we will understand who we are in due time, we will know the purpose of our life and find strength to live it to the fullest; living it for God and radiating our light on others; making this world a little bit better - living a life that matters.

At the end of the day, when all is said and done, what is it that truly matters to us before we breathe our last? That is what must sustain us, this is what we must be living for in each present moment of our lives.


"Keeping a journal has taught me that there is not so much new in your life as you sometimes think. When you re-read your journal you find out that your latest discovery is something you already found out five years ago. Still, it is true that one penetrates deeper and deeper into the same ideas and the same experiences."

— Thomas Merton