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Pastor's Message
Fr. Hector Firoglanis
Why do people get bored? I have known people who seemingly have everything in life: nice cars, nice houses, good jobs, good family life, and yet they are still unhappy and bored with their lives. I’ve met others who seemingly have nothing to look forward to: growing old, dying of cancer, losing their physical strength, and yet were very content and never complained of boredom (even though they could not enjoy the pleasures of this life). Boredom, I believed, is a symptom of not fulfilling our eternal purpose in life: growing towards the image and likeness of God. If we are not constantly changing for the better, growing more and more like God, then life becomes very dull and boring.
St. Basil the Great is an example of someone who was never bored because he challenged himself always to grow in God’s perfection. He lived the demanding life of an austere ascetic, a tireless scholar, and a dedicated pastor -- all in one person. He was never content with where he was at, but continuously put more and more pressure on himself to be a better Christian. Some might even say he overdid it. He was only 50 when he died, but he looked like a man who had died of old age. He never stopped building hospitals, nursing homes, orphanages or whatever it took to alleviate the suffering and distress of others. He is quoted as saying, “You are guilty of having injured all those people you could have helped,” and he applied this principle strictly to his own life.
As Christians, I believe that the greatest challenge we face is not allowing ourselves to fall into a comfortable routine. Our great challenge is to constantly strive to grow in virtue towards God’s perfection. As we grow spiritually, our confession to our priests and spiritual fathers should be less about the bad things we have done, and more about the good things we have failed to do.
As we begin the New Year, how can we push and stretch ourselves to break through our suffocating comfort zones, and to do more good? That may mean implementing a more systematic and disciplined prayer life into our daily routine, and sticking with it no matter what. That may mean volunteering more time to the Church or striving to living more simply so that we can give more generously to charitable causes. Perhaps it means coming to more church services and Bible Studies, or being more sensitive to the needs of others and reaching out to them in love.
As we begin a New Year, let us all strive to do something a little extra. If we are not constantly growing in our spiritual lives, we begin to regress. A static spiritual state is a dying spiritual state. Beginning now and for all of eternity, a Christian is called to be in a constant state of change and growth towards God – towards perfection. It’s fitting that we celebrate St. Basil on January 1st, since he is the perfect example of someone who constantly increased his efforts to grow in God’s perfection. At St. Basil’s funeral, St. Gregory the Theologian wrote of his best friend Basil: “He strove not just to seem excellent but to be excellent.”
In like manner, beginning now in 2012, let us strive not just to seem excellent, but let us constantly push and stretch ourselves to be excellent — to join the saints in the exciting journey of growing forever towards God’s perfect likeness. By doing this, we will never be bored again. |
