LESSON 1 – CHOOSING CHRIST IN THE WORLD
TODAY
Opening
As citizens of the world, we have the responsibility to work for
peace and justice and promote human dignity and human rights.
Because we are citizens of heaven, too, this social responsibility
is deeply rooted in our Christian faith. We give ourselves in the
service of others because of our commitment to Christ. We
make this commitment by faithfully saying "yes" to Christ in
our daily life.
It is easy to say to Christ, "Yes, Lord, I will follow You." The
more challenging task is how to actually "follow Christ" in our
everyday lives- to believe in Jesus, follow Him in our moral
thoughts, attitudes, and acts and service to the needy, and
worship Him as our Lord and Savior. This is what constitutes
Christian commitment.
Context
WHAT IS YOUR HEART'S DEEPEST DESIRE?
Most of us say, "I want to be happy." Aside from being happy,
we also want to succeed in life to be successful cessful in what
we will be doing in the future. At this point, as Filipino high
school seniors, you look forward to the future. You want to
enter a prestigious college or university, succeed in your
studies, and graduate with honors so you can get a good job and
be able to afford a comfortable life with a family of your own.
Looking at these goals in a high school senior's life, we can see
that there is nothing inherently wrong with them. We all want
the "good life." We want to enjoy life, to be happy. Even the
Christian "Good News" proclaims to us that God wants us to be
happy and have the "good life." But what precisely is this "good
life" that God wants for us to have?
First, let us take a look at what the good life is not, according to
God's plan for us. What we really need to be careful about in
the pursuit of our dreams is not to fall into the trap of careerism.
"Careerism" is making "career" into an "ism"-an ideological
view of the good life that reflects an exaggerated self-concern
and materialistic notion of success. It is looking at the basic
meaning and purpose of our whole life only in terms of the type
of work, profession, or lifestyle that brings with it riches,
reputation, and power. But this excessive focus on oneself and
material satisfaction runs directly contrary to our Christian
faith.
Exposition
UNDERSTANDING THE HUMAN HEART- THE CENTER
OF OUR BEING
The human heart is a universal symbol for love. It is so rich in
meaning that we are used to hearing innumerable phrases and
expressions using the word "heart"-from the bottom of my
heart, straight from the heart, take heart, broken heart, heart of
gold, a smile in my heart, etc.
We attribute many of our deepest emotions and desires to our
hearts. When we are angry, upset, or stressed we feel a
tightening of the heart. Our hearts beat faster when we are
excited, afraid, or with someone we love. We feel both joy and
sadness, comfort and pain, peace and restlessness in our hearts.
We experience the different aspects of our humanity at the
center of our very being our heart.
The Sacred Scriptures give us various meanings of and insights
into the human heart. The heart is seen as the Deep center of a
person
"With closest custody, guard your heart, for in it are the sources
of life" (Prv 4:23).
"For wisdom will enter your heart" (Prv 2:10).
"From within people, from their hearts, come evil thoughts"
(Mk 7:21).
Core of one's being
"Probe me, God, know my heart; try me, know my concern" (Ps
139:23).
"A good person out of the store of goodness in his heart
produces good, but an evil person out of a store of evil produces
evil; for from the fullness of the heart the mouth speaks" (Lk
6:45).
Place of prayerful reflection with God and others
"God's teaching is in their hearts" (Ps 37:31).
"When you look for me, you will find me. Yes, when you seek
me with all your heart, you will find me with you" (Jer 29:13-
14).
"In the night I meditate in my heart" (Ps 77:6).
"Were not our hearts burning (within us] while he spoke to us
on the way and opened the scriptures to us" (Lk 24:32)?
The prophet Micah pointed out that whole-heartedness is
needed to fulfill God's directive to "do the right and to love
goodness, and to walk humbly with your God" (Mi 6:8).
Ezekiel and Jeremiah bring us the incredible news that God has
promised to take away our stony hearts and replace them with
hearts filled with compassion, kindness, and love (Ez 36:26; Jer
31:33).
DEVELOPING A DISCERNING HEART
"Each must go his way, but how can I decide which path I
should take?"
The process of finding answers to our questions and making
decisions in the light of our faith is part of what is called
Christian discernment. Discernment is concerned with finding
the will of God in the events of our daily life and with regard to
our major choices.
Most Filipino Catholics associate discernment with deciding
about a vocation to the priesthood or the religious life. But
decision making about a vocation in life involves everyone in
the effort to understand God's will for them. God wills "all to be
saved and come to the knowledge of the Truth" (1 Tm 2:4).
Christian discernment, therefore, refers to all Christians
reflecting on God's will for them, not just those called to a
specific religious vocation. Discernment is also important in the
moral decisions that we make in our daily Christian life. We are
called to "discern" God's will in the many choices that we face
and the many words and actions we receive from others, in our
personal lives, in our interpersonal relationships, and in our
studies.
Skills in Discernment
Discernment is not only about making choices; it is also about a
framework that enables us to cooperate with God's plans for us.
How do we know if our participation in outreach and volunteer
programs is a fruit of our faith and in accordance with God's
will? We will refer to the practice of discernment from the
Christian spiritual tradition for some guidance in choosing
between good courses of action.
1. An Experience of God
First of all, it is important that we have experienced God in our
life. Sincerely believing in God's reality is the way to encounter
God "in Spirit and in truth" (Jn 4:23) in our human experiences.
Scripture teaches us that God constantly uses human persons
and material realities to make his presence felt. We can become
aware, then, of how God touches us through our human
experiences.
2. Listening to the Living Word of God
Authentic Christian discernment is always grounded in Sacred
Scripture. For it is through Scripture that "the Father who is in
heaven meets his children with great love and speaks with
them" (Dei Verbum 21). We come to know God's will through
His Living Word. By referring to Sacred Scripture to guide and
teach us, we can test our own personal aspirations against the
Word of God and see either a confirmation of, or a clear case of
going against, God's will.
3. Prayer
Discerning God's action in our daily lives requires a spiritual
sensitivity that comes only from authentic Christian prayer and
worship (CFC 100). This means that we can develop a
discerning heart only by becoming persons of prayer. We need
to be faithful to our prayer time, to create a certain sacred time
and space for communing with God.
4. Seeking God in Peace
The psalmist calls us to the silence that is filled with the
presence of God: "Be still, and confess that I am God" (Ps
46:11).
If we want to hear God's voice we need to be silent and reflect
on what the Lord wants us to do. When we enter into prayerful
silence and let go of our fears, insecurities, and hang-ups in life,
we let the Lord speak to our hearts.
By looking into our lives, noticing what is unfolding there,
probing the movements of God's Spirit dwelling within us, we
are helped in discerning how to live as disciples of Jesus Christ-
we realize what God the Father desires for us personally as our
lives unfold.
