6 February 2024

 

The Mystery Of Goodness

We live comfortably, usually in safe environs, with little to invade “our space” except the distractions we choose. We have created an impressive array of distractions: the oft-inane blare of television, the engrossing vacuity of cell-phonitis, the brief delights of socializing, quickly-forgotten sporting events, the daily parade of political theatrics.

As a neighbor recently said, “Happiness is but a channel away…” Yet the manner of “happiness” which these diversions provide is gossamer, fleeting, not what we are destined for. See this link:
How Happiness Studies Lets Us Down - First Things

Given our national penchant for diversion, most of us pay little attention to the Miraculous Universe in which we live and breathe and exist. Occasionally we see videos of a random planet shooting across the sky in its last flaming gasp of existence. We hear of black holes a million times larger than our Sun, whirling at the center of galaxies … but we pay little heed. Why should we?

It's A Really Big Cosmos, Eh ?

After all, we have work to do, expenses to meet, kids to raise, in-laws to cope with, taxes to fret. Why worry about issues far removed from our daily cares? After all, the Universe is incomprehensibly vast and mind-boggling, so it is logical that the Mystery of Creation is the last item on our list of stuff to be concerned about.

Occasionally, a personal tragedy (e.g., loss of a loved one) reminds us of truths we’d rather avoid, such as our essential fragility on this Earth and the sobering thought that, despite our achievements, we are not really in charge of most events in our lives. Mystery hovers benignly.

Some people find these humbling truths disturbing; they seek distractions and avoid facing the fact that our state of dependence on Earth is a “given,“ intended to keep us gratefully aware of (1) the Miracle of our own lives, and (2) the Mystery of Creation, of which we are part.

The Miracle Of Creation

In fact, we are enveloped in Mystery every instant of our lives … a Divine Mystery which tells us we exist in a truly miraculous Universe. For example, in addition to Earth, there are other planets in our solar system. But our solar system is one of billions in our Milky Way galaxy … and billions of galaxies also exist. In fact, NASA soon launches SPHEREX, its latest attempt to bring coherence to the Miracle of Creation. Here’s the link:
Spectro-Photometer for the History of the Universe, Epoch of Reionization and Ices Explorer | NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL)

Another example: Among the billions of galaxies which exist, the closest to our Milky Way galaxy is the Virgo Cluster (about 40-70 million light years from Earth, give-or-take a light year or two). The Virgo Cluster contains billions of galaxies. Obviously, the number of star-suns in the Virgo Cluster is another cosmic incalculable.

The Milky Way and the Virgo Cluster are two of billions of galaxies out there. Even if we could count the star-suns in only one these galaxies, and then count the number of planets therein, and then measure their chemical make-up, and then chart their evolution through endless time, we would still face the same humbling questions:

• Where did these miraculous realities come from?


• What purpose does all this Mystery serve?


• What - or Who - is behind all this?

We study the “What” of Creation, the countless “givens,” but we stumble badly when we deny the “Who” of it all and hide from the real reasons why we are here on Earth.

The Clarity Of Mystery

When we study life’s Mysteries, Common Sense reveals that human reason by itself cannot possibly offer answers to questions such as “What’s the point of life, of the Mystery of Creation, of the Miraculous Universe.”

Tidy answers escape our logic, so some people approach these Mysteries impatiently, at times with ruthless intolerance, angry that tidy logic does not satisfy. In haste for closure, they often act as if they are immune from the laws and limits established by our Creator. Conceit replaces Humility. Truth is stifled. 

Nevertheless, the fact is that we are born into a plethora of Mysteries which are Divine in origin. The fact is that we are born (1) to seek answers, and (2) to find peace of soul in the Unknown -- BUT only through Faith and Humility, only by admitting that:

1. the Divine realm is central to our identity, and


2. we must rely on Faith in the Divine - not merely ourselves - for the Wisdom to understand all this.

Let Us Not Stray From Reality

Common Sense attests that we’re part of Creation, part of the Divine Plan. Moreover, Faith reveals that our lives are miraculous gifts from Divine largess. These facts are (or should be) sufficient reason for us to seek Goodness.

• Without Faith, we are limited in our understanding of ourselves and others.


• Without Faith, our perceptions of the Virtues and how they apply are deeply compromised.

Faith’s first insights, then, are that we: (1) accept the boundaries of our humanity, (2) accept responsibility and accountability for our behavior, (3) realize that the Virtues are excellent ways to conduct ourselves in daily living.

In practice, this means we acknowledge our state of dependence as a norm, not a curse. Yes, we are gifted with intelligence to clarify many unknowns in Creation. Yes, we are inspired to push the boundaries of knowledge. But, even as the Mystery of Creation stares us in the eye, we (1) must not mistake knowledge for Wisdom, and (2) must not mistake our urge for knowledge as a right to know, allowing our paltry conceits to replace the Divine.

Wisdom’s Role

Some skeptics say Faith is for quitters, a cognitive cop-out, an excuse for mental laziness. Wrong!!

Faith does not advocate intellectual passivity nor remove from life’s challenges or squelch the moral demands of Civility and Forgiveness which enrich human experience. 

On the contrary, Faith pushes us to acknowledge that we have responsibility (1) to learn and pursue knowledge, and (2) to pursue Goodness as moral agents, i.e., as persons.

Faith insists that we are responsible for the choices we make, accountable for the deeds we do. In fact, our ability to know and wisely choose define us as human beings.  

Faith insists that our true task is to revere the Mystery of Creation starting with ourselves, then our families and cultures – acknowledging that certain Mysteries in Creation are known only by Wisdom’s assent.

This is our personal task as human beings.

• It is a task of self-mastery by which we open ourselves to Wisdom’s insights.


• It is a task by which, with proper disposition, we honor the laws and limits established by our Creator.


• It is a task in which we see (maybe for the first time) the Wisdom of Virtues such as Self-Restraint, Truth, Prudence and Kindness in daily life.

Relationship: Faith’s Consolation

For many, living a life of Faith slowly introduces a form of consolation not found in distractions or displays of haughty superiority. It is a consoling relief for mind and soul - an insight which results from developing a relationship with God, our Creator, Who patiently awaits our attention.

It is a consoling moment when, through trust and perseverance, one finally drops one’s pretenses and acknowledges that we are truly God’s children in every sense. Nothing can alter our status as children of the Divine -- except our own misguided pride. 

Here is a parallel. A parent or grandparent does not ask inane questions when a child nestles in his arms for a nap. He holds that child in the moment and allows all else to cease and be at rest. As he embraces the child, he is immersed in a place of enchantment, of quiet reverie and tranquility of soul. He does not ask why the child sleeps, but rejoices that the child chooses to sleep in his arms in this moment of joyous serenity.

At such times, we are wise to submit entirely to the peace which the child’s Trust creates in us … the peace of not having to know anything more than the calm and purity of now, of this tranquil, loving moment.

Such moments of loving trust offer us a glimpse into the Eternal Now in which we are held by our Loving God, our First and Final Reality Whom we can never grasp with our intellect alone.

I believe these moments reflect the point and purpose of our humanity, the reason why we are given the Divine gift of life . . . a gift from God, Who is with us every instant.

We forget (or deny) that our relationship with God is our true purpose, so we continue to canonize reason and logic, and clamor for unseemly “rights,” as we rashly dismiss Faith and Wisdom and Virtue as enemies of reason, not realizing that within God's miraculous gift of life, Faith awaits, along with Wisdom and Virtue, Hope and Divine Love … and greater freedom than human knowing alone will ever offer.

 

28 Jan 2025

 

Work And The Soul:

The Impact Of Organizational Culture

As we know, the lasting effects of family are profound. Family is where we learn the basics of surviving as individuals and the ethical expectations which contribute to our character.

But a time comes when most of us leave our family to seek recognition and achievement - indeed, our adult identity - in the world of work.

Equipped with our particular discipline (and with a measure of lingering naivete), we flex our skills and begin to earn our way, attuned to the demands of the job, to the ethical rules of our profession and to the moral demands which permeate our culture.

The world of work offers vast opportunities. Some folks choose corporate settings; others freelance. But work eventually pulls all of us into its unavoidable orbit.

Work’s Real Meaning

The work we choose soon unveils itself as far more significant to our evolving identity than merely labor or hours or skills put forth. Work is truly an outlet for our deepest hopes and aspirations, our talents and our need to be recognized and applauded.

Our work is a profound personal investment which, for many, gives definition and meaning to our lives. Our work is a statement of our deepest Self, an expression of the values which inspire us … second only to family.

Many people choose a business organization (e.g., a corporation) as the most suitable setting in which to express their talents and find compensation. They soon learn that the company - indeed, every organization - has a “culture,” i.e., ways of thinking and acting and doing the job; a specific set of ideas and values, even dress codes, coffee breaks and a host of “dos-and don’ts” particular to that organization’s ethos. The culture is transmitted through written rules and formal procedures and, more often, through informal customs and unwritten expectations.

The combination of these factors (and the way they are enforced) sets the parameters of “belonging,” which greatly influence most people’s adult identity and security, financial and psychological. And, at the top of the organization’s culture is leadership.

Wise Leaders

Organizational cultures mirror the beliefs and attitudes of people in power, leaders whose words and decisions affect the lives of employees in countless, often subtle but discernible, ways. Wise leaders realize that customer satisfaction, repeat business and referrals rely on productive workers who do a superior job because they choose to, i.e., because they’re self-motivated.

Thus, when workers’ morale is adversely affected, the quality of their work may suffer considerably.

In effective organizational cultures, leaders and a hierarchy of managers are responsive (1) to the shifting tastes and changing moods of the buyer’s markets they serve, and (2) to the needs of the people who work for them.

Wise leaders empower their managers to implement decisions, observing the managerial chain of command … and providing example of attentive listening which respects the dignity and insight of managers and workers.

In turn, wise managers listen to their employees … especially their experienced workers. And they often ask these questions of themselves -- and of their employees:

1. What is it like for employees to communicate with me?


2. In what ways am I improving morale … or lessening it?


3. Does my behavior encourage or discourage employees to discuss work issues with me (especially workers whose experience is potentially invaluable)?

A caution: Communication with employees is not on-the-job psychotherapy; outside personal issues are not the point of manager-employee communication. However, in-house issues which bear upon morale, productivity or the dignity of employees should surely be given prompt managerial attention.

Listening

When communication falters among leaders, managers and workers, problems arise. Problems are even more complicated when leadership espouses passing fads devoid of substance or ethical coherence. And if leaders attempt to instill intrusive ideas into the culture, undesirable outcomes ensue.

Such problems are avoided when leadership is in sync with managers and employees who are affected by leadership’s decisions. Some observations:

1. Profit is essential but not at the expense of employees’ trust and good will. Contrary to Gordon Gecko’s belief, greed is not good. Leadership greed erodes trust and loyalty.


2. Isolated leadership and limited communication stifles motivation.


3. Leadership’s excessive control of decisions creates a robotic work force devoid of creativity.


4. Controlling behavior also limits employee involvement and may create an aura of undervaluing workers, leading to disengagement and (again) reduced morale.


5. Wise leaders ask qualified employees for their ideas about how employees can enhance success in their sphere.


6. Wise leaders are aware of unintended consequences and avoidable errors. Again, experience of front-line workers and managers is, at times, invaluable.


7. Trust is crucial in corporate and family life, so challenges and confrontations should be seen as invitations to maturity, not threats to managers, employees and leaders.


8. Trust demands dependability, responsibility, accountability and emotional balance among corporate citizens.


9. Leaders are unwise to mix social causes with professional performance (e.g., the politics of DEI have no place in the work setting).

Toward The Ideal

Many people spend their lives in family and work. Unfortunately, some work settings (families, too) are fraught with needless conflict and rancor which serve no good purpose. Thus, it is gratifying to behold effective organizational and family cultures in which persons demonstrate virtuous concern for one another.

Such persons are testament to the fact that there is much good in this life. There are many good people in our family and work settings … people of goodness who show us the way to peace of mind and who demonstrate the practical value and role of Virtue in everyday living.

These people also remind us that it is an inspiring and gracious moment when our dignity and our work efforts are honored, our achievement and our goodness celebrated.

The Virtues of Responsibility and Truth, Kindness and Care, Accountability and Forgiveness are considered foolish by people whose vision begins with only themselves and ends in a vacuum. Yet Kindness, Truth, Humility and other Judeo-Christian Virtues are crucial in our organizational cultures and family settings.

Why?

Because these qualities of heart and soul and spirit keep our work lives, our families and ourselves healthy and hopeful. Indeed, these Virtues are basic to all else in our lives.

We are, therefore, wise to pursue a life of Virtue in work and family.

• The Virtues elevate our fallen nature and redeem our abundant weaknesses.


• They inspire our Hope and bestow Perseverance to pull us forward.


• They take us beyond ourselves in our trusting pursuit toward the Divine Ideal.


• All this, despite the cracks in our souls, despite the mistakes we make over and over again, despite the errors to which we are all drawn.



It is in the often humdrum, repetitious routines of work and in the oft-testy, impatient encounters in family that (within life’s mysterious yet salvific mystery) we also encounter the God of our Creation … the God Who loves us so … the God Who has given us life … and family … and work.




 

17 Jan 2025

 

Family: The Beginning Of Wisdom




We all know that family life leaves its imprint on every mind and heart, every soul and psyche. Early experiences in family have lasting influence on our moral character and social behavior.

Childhood learning does not nullify adult responsibility in later life. Every adult is responsible and accountable for his/her choices and behavior. But family life is our first experience as moral persons in a morally-conflicted world.

Prior to their marriage, both should have sufficient knowledge of what marriage entails and be free from obstacles hindering the validity of their union in the eyes of God and the State … so they may knowingly express their mutual love and intention to unite in an exclusive, life-long commitment.

In marriage and family life, their God-given responsibilities are to enhance the social, spiritual and psychological growth of each other and of their children, even at the cost of personal sacrifice.




Teaching Wisdom’s Basics




Family learning revolves around the profound influence of mother (female) and father (male). Every parents’ responsibility is to raise children in sync with authentic Wisdom, both secular and sacred, human and Divine.

Authentic Wisdom (not merely knowledge) is handed down over millennia by Nature and Sacred Scripture, by family and culture, by religion and proper education, by law and tradition, by instinct and Common Sense.

In this context, human knowledge concerns the “what” and “how to” of life. Authentic Wisdom reveals the “Why” and the “Who.” Authentic Wisdom stresses (1) our need to acknowledge our dependence on our Creator, (2) Scripture’s plentiful directions about how to mature in our relationship with our Creator, and (3) the fact that we are born into the Loving Mystery of Life itself.

We live in a secularized world which is often hostile to these truths - a radically secular world of seductive values to which we are vulnerable. Thus, it is essential that family life teach us:



1. to know our responsibilities to God and one another,
2. to obey our God-given limits as created persons,
3. to recognize the fallacies of rampant individualism, and
4. to stay on the path of Virtue as responsible and accountable persons.



An example: Sexual identity is biological, even if some men believe they are women trapped in the wrong body. Science insists that every cell in that person’s body says, “Nope; you’re still a guy.” In other words, wishing does not change Nature’s realities nor exempt anyone from the limits of human “freedom.”




Standards




Clearly, age-old standards of adult behavior are central to family life and parental responsibility. Traditional standards are critical not only for family life, but also for the Common Good of society. These standards include:



• obedience to legitimate authority, i.e., to God’s Commandments and to the just laws of society;
• self-restraint in private and public affairs;
• respect for truth in word and deed;
• intelligent humility (which is not self-debasement);
• reasonable accountability for one’s behavior;
• identifying and correcting moral blind spots;
• observing norms of decency and civility;
• listening to others with open mind and heart;
• on and on.




Love And Wisdom




Today, progressive modernists seek to undermine traditional family unity. But assaults on tradition cannot change the fact that traditional family has been the foundation of civilized humanity for millennia. Traditional family teaches these ideals:



1. That we act with True Love … act as loving persons, not in a maudlin, shallow, self-centered or sexually-carefree way but in a self-restrained, generous and forgiving manner; and,


2. That in family life and in society, as responsible adults, we act with Wisdom’s insights and Virtue’s restraints, not with self-centered ambition nor indulging our oft-wayward impulses.



True Love and Wisdom – these are the abiding strengths of solid family life. In our culture of ruthless individualism, the strengths of the traditional family are critical for individual and cultural sanity and for the Common Good.

Let us examine the practical side of these strengths.




Loving As Personal Investment




What does True Love really entail?

To begin with, our culture has given the word “love” a bad rap. True Love is not merely a “feeling” or a romantic escapade or sexual indulgence. Rather, True Love is a conviction, a way of life, a consistent frame of mind and heart.

True Love is patient and kind with friends and strangers, even when tempted to intemperate harangue. In adversity, even with unkind and unlovable folks, True Love hangs on with patience and forbearance.

True Love is never jealous or boastful, nor are True Lovers conceited or oblivious to their impact on others.



• They’re not rude and do not act as if they’re superior to others, nor do they manipulate others.
• They certainly do not lie or exaggerate.
• They do not play to the crowd for admiration.
• They do not easily take offense, even when it is intended, nor do they nurse grievances and seek revenge.
• They listen with eyes as well as ears, heart as well as head.



True Lovers do not rejoice in evil, nor relish untruth nor delight in wrongdoing. They extend forgiveness and compassion, altruism and empathy. They do not twist words nor make empty promises.

They give the benefit of every doubt and make allowances for error. They seek clarity rather than self-righteous anger. They maintain trust as long as they can … and remain steady in hope. And when others fall away, True Love still perseveres. Even when rebuffed, True Love still prayerfully hangs on.




Yes, But . . .




When we were young, we thought as children. Now, we have adult responsibilities; we are (or should be) beyond our childish ways and flimsy excuses. Virtue should now make sense to us, since we are now called as adults to maintain our Faith and our Hope … and deepen our True Love.

And who, pray tell, are we supposed to love?



1. We start with the fact that God’s Love for us is a given;
2. Next, we struggle to love God - but there’s more;
3. We are also called to generous, self-restrained love
1. for our family,
2. for our “neighbors” - and strangers near and far, and
3. for ourselves – but not in conceited, selfish ways.



Intelligent self-love begins with forgiving ourselves for our past sins, offenses and negligence, and renewing our sincere intention to seek Virtue … and we persevere.

For many folks, that’s difficult, but Wisdom says, “Do it …. Now!”

This is the life of Virtue to which we are called as members of our family … and as members of countless communities.




Wisdom Imparting




These qualities have countless benefits for every community. They do not come easily to some people, and are often forgotten when emotions bubble. Nonetheless, they can become a habit, just as every habit we develop.

That’s where Wisdom comes in.

Wisdom grants us practical insights which tell us that we do indeed have choices about how we shall behave and what we shall say to others. Wisdom invites us to seek Goodness, to go beyond our ego’s huffy conceits, tp deliberately choose truth, humility and forgiveness over retaliation and ego-driven puffery.

In the same, vein, Wisdom alerts us to the fact that evil is a personal choice … just as Goodness is our choice.

Wisdom warns us not to harbor bitterness, hatred, envy or harmful ambition, not to boast about how great we are, not to forget that we shelter our own weaknesses in our private lives.

  Wisdom informs us that when we nurse envy or revenge or selfish ambition, we create moral disorder within ourselves. Wisdom advises us to be peace-loving, considerate, merciful, to seek reconciliation rather than conflict … so that we may all live in peace in heart and mind – if at all possible.




Wisdom And Words




Here is a daily example of how Love and Wisdom work:

With our words - written and spoken - we can stimulate conflict or seek harmony. Our words can possess power for good or they can corrupt relationships and create chaos. When others recognize us as reckless with our words, we lose …

So, we can promote goodness or evil by what we say and do. The choice is ours …

Learning the basics of Wisdom and Virtue begins when mother and father make these standards the family’s priorities in words and deeds. Then family life makes significant difference in who we become and what we value.




Our Choice




Our culture is besotted by specious “rights” and spurious “freedoms” which reject God’s sovereignty and disdain religious fidelity, history, science, tradition - and Common Sense.

The Christian message stands out as the only effective response which has, for centuries, supported traditional family life and honored the indispensable roles of mother and father. 

In all of this, remember that good intentions alone don’t make family life a bastion of sweet harmony. Disagreements and grumpy times will occur, and that’s OK - for a while … but …

… we must also ask one another: Are we listening to one another, facing our differences together, seeking resolution together, not closing ourselves off or catering to our conceits? Are we behaving as loving people toward one another – even when we argue?

If not, why not? Wisdom says, “Get to it . . . now!”




Finally . . .




Authentic Wisdom ever advises us to ask Almighty God to bless our family (disagreements included) and to help us bring True Love to one another … even when it hurts our ego.

Furthermore, it is wise of us to be forgiving of one another.

It is wise of us to be a source of trust and unity for one another.

It is wise of us to seek empathy, self-restraint, humility, obedience to the Commandments and to express our gratitude to God.

It is wise of us to ask that our appreciation of God’s Presence stay within our family.

And … it is wise of us to bring True Love, authentic Wisdom and practical Virtue to our family by our words and our example … through Christ our Lord. Why would we ever choose otherwise?