Page 119 - Built For God Handbook (Annotated and Explained Edition) - The Christian Edition of the Tao Te Ching - The New Evangelization - Pope John Paul II

53

The ways of God often involve paradox, as is evident in the first stanza.
That a heavy foundation could be a source of lightness makes sense when
one realizes that being grounded in God's marvelous love for us, made
visible in the very human Jesus of Nazareth, inevitably leads to a sense of
profound security, serenity, and even joy.

Tapping into this serenity through contemplative prayer, the prayer of not-
doing, the experience of silence and solitude, being attentive to the quiet
impulses of the Holy Spirit in that darkness, little by little quells the
congenital restlessness that marks our human experience.

The Son of God came into our world with one clear goal, to do the will of the
Father, from which he never faltered nor swayed, even when faced with the
possibility of great suffering and most painful death. As the long-awaited
Messiah, he had a two-fold mission – to redeem and to sanctify, to forgive
and to heal. How fortunate it is that he accomplished this mission through
his death and resurrection, a mission that continues to this day.

Our challenge is to place our total trust and faith in this mystery of who the
Son of Man is. Stay connected to and grounded in his love through prayer
and contemplation, and we will, like him, live single-mindedly focused on
God's love for us and never be swayed by the vicissitudes of daily life in this
world.

c
a Matthew 7:24-29; Psalm 37:7; Matthew 4:1-11.
b