Sunday, September 9, 2012

The Significance of an Action



            “What makes an action significant?”  This is a question that has been lingering in my mind for quite a time.

            The answer came to me as I read the meditation in the Anawim Way booklet on September 8, 2012, the Birthday of our Blessed Mother Mary.  I reflected on the following statements:

            “Today is a wonderful day for us to entrust ourselves anew to Mary as her beloved children, and allow her to lead us in her way of total confidence in God, as he works also in our lives in all of his hidden, mysterious ways.  Even if it seems small and insignificant, each present moment is of immense importance.  God is working in each moment, and we can cooperate with him in each moment, no matter how ordinary or unimportant the moment seems.”

            After reading the abovementioned statements, I was enlightened and my mind zeroed in on the “WILL OF GOD” as what makes any action significant.  I then recall the examples of two great saints who simply lived a life according to the Will of God.

            The first is St. Aloysius of Gonzaga.  It is narrated in his biography that one day while he was playing billiard, someone asked him: “Suppose you were told that you would die in a short while, what would you do?”  Aloysius answered: “ I will just continue playing billiard.”   For him that was what God wanted him to do at that moment, and so he would just continue playing.

            The second is St. Therese of the Child Jesus.  St. Therese lived for about nine years only as a Carmelite nun, entering at the age of 15 and dying at age 24.  During her life at the nunnery she simply did the ordinary household duties – sweeping the floor, washing the dishes, cooking the food, watering the plants, etc. Doing all this menial work with much love she offered everything to the Lord for the sake of the missionaries.  Hence, she was made the Patroness of Missionaries.

            The examples of these two saints made me realize that what matters in doing anything is not how important or how great it is, but whether or not it is in accordance with the Will of God. 

            Hence, everyday as I tackle anything, be it small or great, I ask myself: “Is this what God wants me to do now?”  When I am convinced of a positive answer, I then strive to do it in the best way I can and with all the love I can give.

By: Buddy Cagurangan
September 9, 2012

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