Sep 12 Fri
Should I live a simple, ordinary life?
As that of any Christian, “the spirit of Opus Dei is simple and genuine, based on Sacred Scripture, which is inspired by God, who is infinitely simple and Truth itself." Thus, we must live with sincerity and simplicity, and reject pretense.
Our dedication should have the naturalness and simplicity of souls who are unconditionally committed to fulfilling God's will. We live amid the world's activities, practicing a profession not as a tactic, but because it is our chosen place in life. Ours is a call to seek the fullness of Christian life where we are, in our work, most likely the same job we had before we decided to follow Jesus closely.
We do not need to go into the world, since we have never left it; there, God called us, and there, we remain. “A man of faith who practices a profession, whether intellectual, technical, or manual, feels himself and is in fact at the same level with others; he is the same as others, with the same rights and obligations, the same desire to improve, the same interest in facing and solving common problems."
“The Catholic living in this way will, through his daily life, give a proof of his faith, hope, and charity: a simple and normal testimony without need of pomp and circumstance.” He will make the Church present in the world, since all Catholics are themselves the Church, members of the People of God.
Look at the naturalness of the early Christians. Our life should be as simple as theirs. Its oddness should be that it is not odd. We strive to live by our faith, without affectation of any kind. Our way of life is open to all.
Above all, our interior life should be simple. Without any pretense, we raise our hearts to God like little children.
In all our dealings with God, we must avoid formality. Piety indeed has its own good manners, especially in the liturgy, but respect and reverence are no reason for coldness or affectation. We put our whole heart into the Norms of piety. St. Josemaría wrote, "I don't like to use the word ‘observance’ when speaking about fulfilling our duties of piety. You already know my criteria for private devotions. If they are long, they should be avoided. And if they are short, they should be few and constant.”
And he urged us to be simple in the way we treat our Lord: Go to the oratory, and say to Jesus: "I abandon myself in your arms.” Leave everything you have - your wretchedness - at his feet. Thus, despite the jumble of things you carry along behind you, you will never lose your peace.
In our ascetical struggle, we need to see ourselves as we really are. We need to accept our own limitations and realize that God sees them all and takes them into account. We should not be dismayed at our weakness, since it leads us to lean humbly in God's hands.