'IN God' While in This World

‘IN God’ While In This World

Today too many people are sunk in misery, suffering from anxiety and depression in varying degrees, or some kind of addiction, or any other misery–physical, emotional, or spiritual, including loneliness and sadness. These are very real human conditions, many perhaps requiring professional intervention. Still many seem to live just fine–happy, contented, even successful and prosperous, but still missing that profound peace and joy they don't even know they're missing.

The world does propose solutions and ‘quick fixes’, including professional help, and rightly so. But there's a very wise and practical ‘hack’ or ‘first aid’, to be healed and liberated, ‘little by little’, from all our miseries (even alongside other helps); that is– to live one day at a time– each day, IN GOD. And for us Catholic Christians some basic prayers (interior acts) sincerely offered at the beginning of each day, with attention and devotion, to put us ‘IN God’, are therefore in order:

First we begin our day with an act of ‘perfect contrition’, making our best efforts to truly be sorry for and detest all our sins, trying hard to detach ourselves totally from all sin. This, on condition of having the intention to go to confession as soon as possible if we are conscious of any mortal sin, gives us the moral certitude of being restored to the state of grace, reconciled with God. This assures us of the indwelling of the Blessed Trinity in our soul, in the very depths of our being, not just as Creator, but as a Friend.

Then we make the Acts of Faith, Hope, and Charity, that conscious expression of our deep conviction of faith, hope, and love for God, which put us in direct contact with Him. Through these acts the image of God in the soul becomes wholly actual (St. Thomas Aquinas). For these theological virtues “are far superior to the natural virtues. They here and now bridge the gap, the chasm between creature and Creator, between God and the soul. When the soul believes in God in living faith, God is as truly present in and to the soul as He will be in Heaven. Nothing whatever separates the soul from the being of God except the veil of the present life. In the act of hope, the soul already possesses for its own use the omnipotence of God. In the act of charity, it is already united to God in an immediate spiritual embrace. These sublime acts establish true and direct contact between the soul of the creature and the Infinite Spirit of God” (Benedict Ashley, OP, The Beginner at Mental Prayer).

Now we are ready to further deepen our union with God by making a spiritual communion, which consists of “a desire to receive Jesus in the most Holy Sacrament in a loving embrace as though we had already received Him”. Both St.Thomas Aquinas and St. Alphonsus Liguori teach that a spiritual communion produces effects similar to a sacramental communion, depending on our dispositions. By it the love of God is greatly impressed on us (St. Teresa of Jesus). We can also renew this spiritual communion multiple times in a day, even wordlessly, just by earnest yearnings of the heart. Vinny Flynn relates that “St. Francis de Sales resolved to make a spiritual communion at least every fifteen minutes so that he could link all the events of the day to his reception of the Eucharist at Mass” (7 Secrets of the Eucharist, pp. 85-86). And “if you practice the holy exercise of spiritual Communion several times each day, within a month you will see your heart completely changed” (St. Leonard of Port Maurice).

Then we can proceed to making our ‘morning offering’. This is the interior will-act, consciously expressed verbally, to give to God all our thoughts, words, and actions of the day, (through the Immaculate Heart of Mary), in full conformity to His will. By this we place our whole being in God, aiding us to offer all our activities for His honor and glory, thereby also uniting ourselves to the sacrifice of the Cross.

Finally, to cap it all up, we make an act of fervent faith, hope, and love for God's Providence. We call to mind the truth that God takes care of us, not just in a general way, but in the minutest detail of our being, our soul and body, and everything that concerns us. With loving trust we submit to Him all that we are. In a word (with the help of our imagination) we lovingly surrender ourselves to God much as a child throws himself into the loving arms of his mother (Filial submission).

Hitherto we have placed ourselves ‘in God’ at the beginning of the day and humbly disposed ourselves to receive the manifold graces God is so desirous to give us. Of course our weaknesses and woundedness remain; but we have just made the very important first step (in the process), that of opening ourselves to the healing grace of God. By these very interior acts we orient, center, and order our lives in God. We need only to sustain and renew these interior acts (one day at a time) and God's grace will never be wanting. Our perseverance will then surely result in that inner peace (the tranquility of order), and its sister, joy.

O how foolish it is to waste another day living outside of God, and simply trapped in the ‘world’. It all boils down to how much we hunger for genuine peace and profound joy, which can only be achieved by living ‘IN God’. To chase for happiness, peace, and joy outside of God will be just like ‘kicking against the goads’, leading only to failures, frustrations and more misery. It is never too late nor too early to begin. And may we persevere, even if it takes ‘violence’ to will what we ought to do even if we don't feel like doing it— these interior acts.