A few weeks ago, I was having a lot of trouble with writing a column. You would think that working for a religious publication would make me feel empowered and ready to share what God wants me to share. What actually happened was I was unmotivated and distracted. I kept telling myself to get myself off the computer and go relax. Some prayers might have been a good idea, since I was working in a quiet house at the time. That didn’t happen.
Shortly afterwards, I re-examined the situation and asked: Why was I having trouble with this column? According to my usual routine, I should have already finished! But then I realized that’s where the problem was: the word “routine.” I was so focused on completing the task that I completely forgot why I was doing it. I wasn’t doing it because God wanted me to, but instead out of a sense of obligation. My head was there, but not my spirit.
Two days before finishing this column, I finally took up the rosary for the first time in a while. I reflected and remembered the important things, forgot about the unnecessary ones and realized that some quiet was just what I needed.
Galatians 3:2 asks, “Did you receive the Spirit by doing the works of the law or by believing what you heard?” Do we receive God just by being good people? If that’s the case, then surely, we could be good people without actually involving prayer and going to church, as long as we worked forever. But then, what would be the point if we felt shackled and unsatisfied? The world would probably be much better if we dedicated ourselves solely to work and productivity, but that’s something that machines do, not humans. Maybe that’s the key to making it through the daily grind. Why do we go to church? Why do we pray and serve others? Why did I even start lifting weights? Because I had to? Or because I needed to? After everything, are we liberating ourselves, or doing the complete opposite?
Because let’s face it, if we’re not liberated, we might have to reconsider the point.
(Jed de los Reyes, 18, is a French Studies student at Toronto’s York University.)
Religion is so much more than sticking to a routine
By Jed de los Reyes, Youth Speak NewsI decided to try a weightlifting routine a few months ago. I wasn’t sure what I was doing, but sweating and struggling on bicep curls was easily the coolest thing I did in awhile. The feeling intensified when I looked at the mirror a few weeks later and noticed a subtle but definite improvement.
Within two weeks, however, I fell out of my routine. After doing the exact same thing repeatedly, anything — no matter how exciting it is — can become a chore. I’m pretty sure that we can remember at least one homily where the priest inspired us, making us feel like our lives would never feel the same afterwards. Yet I’m also certain there are many times when we just don’t feel like going to church on Sundays. Since Jesus died for our sins, we’re supposed to feel free, liberated and unbound. So why does service sometimes feel like a tedious obligation? For a concept that’s supposed to provide salvation, religion can sometimes feel more like a chain than a key.
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