MJ Meister
St. Jane de Chantal Writing Group
What if we could be assured that God is with us, right here, right now? Would it change the way we treat each other?
It’s easy to believe God is somewhere off in the distance, far from our ordinary experience. But St. John the Apostle dispelled that idea in his letters to early Christians, describing Jesus’s time on earth and the Father’s plans for us. He said we should be called children of God because of the great love the Father gave to us. St John taught that this gift of love is not only for us, but we are to give it away by loving one another. St. John also shared how we are to love: “Little children, let us love, not in word or speech, but in truth and action” (1 John 3:18).
So, it’s not enough to simply be—we must act. The Ten Commandments define truth and action for us, but the ancient language of the Old Testament can be confusing in today’s world. In 2018, Pope Francis spoke at length on the Ten Commandments in his general audiences, diving deeply into the idea of truth and action, clarifying in a series of teachings what the commandments mean for us. Pope Francis concluded the series by saying that the Ten Commandments are “the contemplation of Christ in order to open ourselves up to receive his heart, to receive his desires, to receive his Holy Spirit.” His words echo St. John’s statement, “All who obey his commandments abide in him, and he abides in them. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit that he has given us” (1 John 3:24).
It seems the more we learn about following Jesus, the harder it is. Oh, how often we fail. None of us are perfect. We are all sinners. Yet we grow closer to God as we consciously lean into his teachings, one small step at a time. Reading and contemplating the commandments may not immediately change our lives, but it can be enough to make us stop and think.
Maybe we get caught up in current issues and automatically repost the latest soundbites that align with our views. It’s not lethal. It’s only an opinion. Reposting on social media is no big deal. Or is it? If we consider the growing body of research linking social media to the mental health crisis in today’s adolescents, we might pass on the casual repost. That small act of restraint becomes an intentional choice to resist adding to the negative emotional energy on social media.
Doing our part to calm the rhetoric is relatively easy in this example because of the virtual distance in online interactions. Managing our in-person relationships in a posture of love first is more challenging, especially when we are the one hurting. After all, the person is usually up close in our personal space, and that quick and hurtful comeback is on the tip of our tongue. But when we have a heart for following the commandments, we begin to feel God’s presence. It may be just a tiny mental interruption, but it is enough to remind us that we are called to love. Instead of letting it all out in frustration, try a silent prayer, like the Jesus Prayer: “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God, have mercy on me, a sinner.” Or mentally recite a few of the Divine Praises: “Blessed be God. Blessed be his holy name. Blessed be the name of Jesus.” This can create the breathing space we need to remember that God is right here.
We often think of love as it’s portrayed in the movies. It doesn’t matter if it’s a romance, a family saga, or a hero’s journey: love is something the characters feel. It’s happening to them, and the audience follows along, caught up in every emotional twist and turn. But St. John tells us that real love for one another is a decision of the will. It’s a choice we make. Emotional reactions are not the same as the Spirit of God. When we use that tiny mental interruption to change the focus from ourselves to the other person, we win. The result is less anger and hurt, more purposeful interactions, and more love. What’s more, we start to notice that still, small voice within. Somehow, we just know. He is here with us. He knows everything. Keep going.