Today Is Sufficient
Throughout my childhood I looked forward
to New Year's Eve celebrations. Some were spent in church activities, others
with family. I remember one year when with family friends we all went to my
parent's backyard and banged on pots and pans and verbally celebrated the
beginning of the new year. It was as though the celebration was filled with the
belief that everything in the coming year would be positive and beneficial, to
the celebrants.
That is as it should be, but I do not recall any resolutions being expressed that night. As an adult I have always been resistant to making New Year resolutions. I making such a resolve I feel it would have to be done in total seriousness and concern itself with the correction of an essential defect in my character.
The making of that kind of resolution would necessarily include my understanding of the great challenge I would encounter in achieving it. Our growth in character is attained through tremendous effort, for to attain it, we must deny ourselves of the "rewards" that our lesser character assures us.
Obviously these "rewards" have come into question, otherwise, we would not be seeking to make a correction.
Naturally, in the course of life, if the occasion of New Year's Eve is the moment of our understanding, if it is the occasion of our acceptance of our error in character, then I cannot deny that it is a good time to make a new commitment.
My reluctance to such resolutions stems, however, from words found in Matthew 6:34. Take therefore no thought for the morrow, for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.
I understand that the ". . . thought for the morrow . . . " is of the nature of anxious thought. I suppose today we would term it as anxiety. Worrying and fretting about things that might happen.
We must continue with that verse and focus on the final sentence. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.
As a college student, my good friend Bill Kernohan and I would attend a youth study group each Sunday evening. Father Palermo would guide us in our attempts to increase the goodness in our lives. One night his lesson centered on reflection and the fact that today is sufficient unto itself.
He taught us the necessity of a daily examination of our words, deeds, and actions. He asked that each night prior to sleep, we go over our entire day searching for words which might have hurt another; for deeds that were not appropriate and could have hindered our self or another in the attempt to improve character; and for actions taken which may have inflicted emotional pain.
We were reminded that today is sufficient. Today is enough to handle! The evil the wrong, thereof is enough of a challenge for us to meet. It will require is to gain in knowledge of oneself, to make evaluations of our inner being based on the understanding we have of this inner person, and to make judgments of what corrective actions we must take; not an easy requirement; quite a lot to handle in only one day.
This is due to the fact that things which he asked us to look, at were those character traits which each of us possesses that hinder us from attaining the life of goodness of virtue.
The words of the hymn I Am Resolved, written by James H. Fillmore, contain the summation of our thoughts.
That is as it should be, but I do not recall any resolutions being expressed that night. As an adult I have always been resistant to making New Year resolutions. I making such a resolve I feel it would have to be done in total seriousness and concern itself with the correction of an essential defect in my character.
The making of that kind of resolution would necessarily include my understanding of the great challenge I would encounter in achieving it. Our growth in character is attained through tremendous effort, for to attain it, we must deny ourselves of the "rewards" that our lesser character assures us.
Obviously these "rewards" have come into question, otherwise, we would not be seeking to make a correction.
Naturally, in the course of life, if the occasion of New Year's Eve is the moment of our understanding, if it is the occasion of our acceptance of our error in character, then I cannot deny that it is a good time to make a new commitment.
My reluctance to such resolutions stems, however, from words found in Matthew 6:34. Take therefore no thought for the morrow, for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.
I understand that the ". . . thought for the morrow . . . " is of the nature of anxious thought. I suppose today we would term it as anxiety. Worrying and fretting about things that might happen.
We must continue with that verse and focus on the final sentence. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.
As a college student, my good friend Bill Kernohan and I would attend a youth study group each Sunday evening. Father Palermo would guide us in our attempts to increase the goodness in our lives. One night his lesson centered on reflection and the fact that today is sufficient unto itself.
He taught us the necessity of a daily examination of our words, deeds, and actions. He asked that each night prior to sleep, we go over our entire day searching for words which might have hurt another; for deeds that were not appropriate and could have hindered our self or another in the attempt to improve character; and for actions taken which may have inflicted emotional pain.
We were reminded that today is sufficient. Today is enough to handle! The evil the wrong, thereof is enough of a challenge for us to meet. It will require is to gain in knowledge of oneself, to make evaluations of our inner being based on the understanding we have of this inner person, and to make judgments of what corrective actions we must take; not an easy requirement; quite a lot to handle in only one day.
This is due to the fact that things which he asked us to look, at were those character traits which each of us possesses that hinder us from attaining the life of goodness of virtue.
The words of the hymn I Am Resolved, written by James H. Fillmore, contain the summation of our thoughts.
I am resolved no
longer to
linger,
Charmed by the world's delight;
Things that are higher, things that are nobler.,
These have allured my sight.
Charmed by the world's delight;
Things that are higher, things that are nobler.,
These have allured my sight.
That is what Farther Palermo was asking of us. We should come to see that which charms us for the illusion that it is; resolve to reach for that which is higher, that which is nobler.
(December, 1999)
Posted: Sun - August 8, 2004 at 10:48 AM
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In a museum most people spend less than twenty seconds looking at a work of art."
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Published On: Feb 03, 2006 11:02 PM
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Published On: Feb 03, 2006 11:02 PM