Chapter Six
Paragraph 222 “Christian spirituality proposes a growth marked by moderation and the capacity to be happy with little. It is a return to that simplicity which allows us to stop and appreciate the small things, to be grateful for the opportunities which life affords us, to be spiritually detached from what we possess, and not to succumb to sadness for what we lack.”
I agree to the statement above that I have read in the encyclical. The bible teaches us to be always contented no matter what our circumstances are. Each one of us should be contented of the things that we have or with the persons that we have in our lives. All of these possessions are gifts from God that we must appreciate and treasure. We must be grateful for all these gifts given to us and be able to maximize their use and enjoy them. But this contentment doesn’t mean that we resist change, but being satisfied for now until God gives as what we need. If anything is happening that is not what we intend to happen, we should pray about it and tell God about our needs. And while we are waiting for God to move, we must be very thankful and grateful from our hearts for all that God has done for us already. Being this, we will have tremendous peace and contentment no matter what state we are in while waiting for God to work out His will in our lives.
My personal value and beliefs that coincide with the underlying values and beliefs of the encyclical is that having inner peace will help us be satisfied with our lives. Having peace of mind will help us deal with our conditions or situations. If we respond to these conditions with positive mind, these cannot be regarded as a problem for us. We may even regard these as challenges or opportunities for our growth and development. Problems arise only if we respond to situations with a negative state of mind. Unpleasant feelings such as suffering, pain, worries, and unhappiness are part of the mind. If we know how to control and clear our mind, we can eventually stop them once and for all.
Upon reading the encyclical, I have come up to the conclusion that first, we should always be humble enough to acknowledge and be reminded that we need to be grateful every day for all the good things and even the bad things that had happened to us because all of these has its reasons for happening. All we need to do is trust God with His plan for us. Second, we have to recognize enough that our true life is happening right now. We celebrate accomplishments and good things as they happen, and mourn for bad things as they also happen. We must avoid looking ahead too far. We must not rush moments, but should always cherish it because rushing it will take out the fun of anticipation. Expectations can lead to disappointments, but accepting what we have been given is us being contented. And lastly, we should make room for quiet, a time for own selves. When we pray, we must allow ourselves to hear what’s in our hearts. Connecting with what is inside or within our hearts helps us prepare on how to deal with the outside world with calmness and peace. Give up control and free ourselves from thoughts and emotions. Our inner voice often has something to say. This gut feeling can act as our guide once we shut ourselves from all the noisy and messy distracting sounds of life. Doing these will help us. All we need to do are some few mindful adjustments for us to find the season of contentment in our lives.