Calm

“With that, Jesus returned to His secluded spot to pray again.  ‘Father, if there is no other way for this cup to pass without My drinking it—then not My will, but Yours be done.’” (Matthew 26:42).

Gethsemane (Luke Ch’en)

There is a sort of paradox to being a Christian.

A paradox is a literary term, which means that something appears to be untrue, but it is actually true.  For example, a paradox is when we say that the child is the father of the man.  What we are really saying here, is that the experiences that we go through as children affect who we become as adults.  Thus, though it is impossible for a child to father themselves, in a way, we do become our own parents, raising ourselves by the experiences that we endure.

Christianity is a sort of paradox like this…

We are asked to trust in God and to be like Him.  And this means that despite all our weaknesses and all our sinful ways, we are asked to calmly surrender to God and follow Him.

To do this appropriately we need to first understand the negativity in our own souls.  We need to understand where the sin falls in ourselves.  And once we understand this, then we can guard against it.  We can recognise our weaknesses so that instead of seeing what we cannot control – the world at large – we can focus on what we can control – our own behaviours.

And in being able to focus on my own sinful self I am actually able to be calm.  After all, there is nothing more calming than being able to see God and understand that He expects nothing of me.  There is nothing more calming than knowing that God is watching me and waiting for me to come to terms with my own weakness so that He can work me towards His Holy Will.

Saint Josemaria advised in “Furrow” at 863, “Fight against your harshness of character, against your selfishness, your spirit of comfort and your dislikes. We have to be co-redeemers; and, besides, consider carefully that the prize you receive will bear a very direct relation to the sowing you may have done.”

There is such an opportunity to live optimistically when we focus on God and God’s Will.  There is such a carefree opportunity to live as a true child of God if I can just park all the worries in my mind.  In every terrible situation and in every terrible temptation, there is such an opportunity to be calm in praying the prayer of the Saviour in Gethsemane, “With that, Jesus returned to His secluded spot to pray again.  ‘Father, if there is no other way for this cup to pass without My drinking it—then not My will, but Yours be done.’” (Matthew 26:42).

And I have been reflecting on that prayer today.  For it seems that the more troubles I have in my life, the more calm I am called to be and I know this because of the Prayer to Christ int hat Garden…

“not my will but Yours be done…” (Matthew 26:42).

For with prayer, I stand on Holy Ground where everything is clear. Here. At the Foot of the Cross.