The Roots of Spirituality
What is spirituality? Is it sitting in an easy chair thinking serene thoughts of God and His relation to mankind? Or is it living a life dedicated to seeing God in all things in all places and in all people and responding to God’s call at all times?
Richard Rohr wrote that honesty and humility are the foundations of spirituality (Everything Belongs p. 48). Honesty is seeing the world as it really is and calling it as it really is. It is seeing ourselves for what we are, sinners, weak, frail creations who would be gods unto ourselves if we could. It is facing this reality and realizing the creation of our pride that this is. We must then seek the mercy of God to forgive us our trespasses against Him and look to see with the eyes of Christ. Honesty will open our eyes, and then, hopefully, our hearts to let God live within our souls as a guiding, a driving force to metonoia. So that our minds and hearts will be turned toward and not away from God. Honesty will open our eyes to the pres- ence of God in all His creation and thus lead us to respect and love all as Christ did and ever does.
Humility, likewise, allows us to go outside of ourselves to see our self as others see us; as God sees us. It puts truth before our eyes and asks us to affirm what we see. It allows us to see our self as the least so that one day we might be with the Greatest for eternity. Humility does more than let us see the truth about ourselves. It is the quality by which we swear before God and man that this is the truth and we know it to be so. Without humility we will never see ourselves in the Light of Christ and the road to heaven will not be illuminated for us to follow.
Honesty and humility are the tools by which we can recognize God when we encounter Him, whether that occurs in the sacraments, at Mass, in our wives and children, or in the stranger we meet as our day unfolds. As with any tool we must learn to use them properly in order to achieve the greatest results. Promise yourself that starting today you will not say or do anything without being aware of who you truly are, that is humility. Promise that you will not speak or do anything that is foreign to the purpose for which you were created, but if you do, that you will freely admit it and start over. That is being honest. Do this and you will surely encounter God at every turn of your existence and that my friends is being spiritual.
May God Bless You,
Deacon Doc
