Saturday, August 11, 2007

Christ in the house of Martha and Mary by Vermeer

THE HEART OF OUR LADY

2. Total Simplicity.
A consequence of this disorder is the continuous agitation in our lives. How much noise and restlessness there is in our exterior world! How much anxiety and anguish inside our soul on account of our passions, the pre-occupations of life, the storms of our mind and the impressions which penetrate our hearts.

We go through a tumultuous life, experiencing incidents which too often throw us off our balance and absorb all our activities. We lack that simplicity which gives union and harmony to the currents which envelop our heart.

According to the teaching of Our Lord, Martha is an example of the tumultuous agitation, whilst Mary is a model of simplicity, the type of those souls who have this golden rule imprinted within. One thing only really matters and this one thing gives unity and simplicity to the variety of happenings of life, be they prosperous or adverse, so that nothing disturbs them, nothing throws them off their balance since they are all intent upon that best portion of their choice.

If you also want your heart to be in order apply that same rule of simplicity to your thoughts, affections, intentions, activities. Thoughts are simplified and reduced to unity by a reminder of the presence of God. See God everywhere, direct every thought to Him, get rid of those thoughts which do not lead you to Him. Can you imagine yourself troubled and afflicted and disturbed by the world, the devil and the flesh if the remembrance of God were the guiding thought of your life?

Simplicity in affections will give a wonderful unity to all the forces of your heart and will prevent you from attaching yourself unduly to any creature.

A heart always in search of God keeps its love for Him, since it loves Him above all things and loves everything for His sake.

Finally, simplicity of intention demands that you propose no other aim to your actions, labor and fatigues than God Himself, the only final object worthy of your cares and activities.

See now whether your heart is not uselessly torn by the tumultuous multiplicity of its activities. Only one thing matters: to love and serve God, to attain to the ultimate goal, God.

[Excerpted from 'MARIAN MEDITATIONS' Book by Rev. Dr. Ildefonso R. Villar, Salesian Philippine Province, Nihil Obstat; Imprimatur]

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