A 16th Sunday after Pentecost Thought About Leaving All Else For God

This 16th Sunday after Pentecost brings us the last days of September and some thoughts about leaving all else for God.

Now, this won't be something just for those in religious life only, nor will it be for the lukewarm or faint of heart. But since no serious Catholic can be lukewarm or faint of heart, then it's for all of us - religious or otherwise.

And if we "otherwise" types somehow have the impression that religious don't struggle with the idea of leaving all else for God, forget about it. The life-changing decision to devote all their time and energy to serving God alone doesn't preclude the struggle we all face when it comes to our relationship with God. Taking a vow doesn't magically strip away the "old man" of which St. Paul speaks. It doesn't instantly turn a worldly, self-centered man or woman into an other-worldly fountain of charity. Religious have to work at growing closer to God, as do we.

And as we do apply ourselves when we are serious about our spiritual life, it's not uncommon that we wonder why we don't feel all that different today than we did yesterday, when we weren't so serious. That especially true if we anticipated some instant or magical change in our tired old selves just because we told God that we wanted to grow closer to Him. This can be especially true when we prepare for Confession and find ourselves seeking forgiveness for the umpteenth time for that fault or faults that have hounded us far into the mists of our past. 

It's just how things are with us fallen creatures. We're simply not perfect, even if we strive to be. And that lack of perfection mixed with the struggle to once and for all shake off those persistent faults we just can't shake can leave us in a state of disappointment, if not despondency.  

But there's no reason to fret, really. Whether we realize it or not, we're all riding in the same boat when it comes to the struggle to grow closer to God.

So with that, some wise words from Abbot John Chapman to lift our spirits and help us to renew our struggle with hope and confidence. 

“After some time it always happens that one seems to return to the rut of common life. Provided you have the same desire to be all for God, what does it matter how you feel? Except that this sort of feeling of dryness or dissipation is founding humility in you – We have to accept from God with absolute submission (and with what joy we can) not merely our sufferings, but also ourselves, all our inborn and ingrained weakness and selfishness and incapacity. And also the poor amount of sanctity we see in ourselves. If we were always sailing along in a fair wind, we should have very little to suffer, and very little to make us humble. It is when we can’t pray, and can’t feel we want only God’s will, and can’t even feel humble (and so forth), that we are being purged and molded and made into what God wants us to be. We are like little children being washed and having their hair brushed by a nurse; they don’t like it at all, and think nurse is very unkind. Do you ever read Father de Caussade’s letters (Abandonment to Divine Providence)? Some of them might help you…When one is in a kind of ‘desolation’ the only thing is to wish to be there and remain there. It is the only means of union with God.

"If you know ‘The Ascent of Mount Carmel’ you will know the doctrine that the only means of Union is the stripping of self, and that illuminations and inspirations are cheering and helpful, but are not union; union is the imperceptible giving of self to God, - the only perceptible part of it is the leaving of everything else. When we have no comfort in God, but want it more than everything, then we are probably more united to Him than at any other moment. Saint John of the Cross’ doctrine is austere, but Saint Francis de Sales teaches exactly the same in a more cheerful manner, and so do all the saints. So we must aim at being in the desert and not at any consciousness of God’s grace and Presence. One is inclined to say ‘I am so weak, I can’t go on like this! I must have some consolation, or I shall merely fall, and grow worldly.’ But God knows best. Absolute and complete confidence, trust, abandon, is what we need.” (Abbot John Chapman, O.S.B.)

Happy 16th Sunday after Pentecost!