Jindal at odds with education leader
April 22, 2014Congress: End auto pay hikes
April 22, 2014I need your help. For many years, my readers have been urging me to put my weekly columns in a book format. Well, I have finally listened to you and have begun the process. I started writing the “What a Life!” columns in December 1998.
If you do the math, that is more than 750 columns from which to choose.
The book will contain a meditation for each day of the year, plus one for the leap day and four for the high holy days of Holy Thursday, Good Friday, Holy Saturday and Easter Sunday. That adds up to 370 articles.
I have edited 195 articles so far. That’s more than half what I need for the book. I was telling someone what I was doing and she asked me, “Are you going to ask your readers what favorite articles they would like to see included in your book.” Good idea!
So I am asking you, my faithful readers, to suggest what articles you would like to see printed in the book. Since this covers a 15-year-period, the more exact time frame when the article first appeared would be very helpful. I have saved all my articles no matter what newspaper they appeared. The more specific you can be the better.
I do have a work schedule. My editor wants all my articles finished by June 1. So, send your suggestion to me at willietodd@juno.com or 267 Klondyke Road, Bourg, LA, 70343 as soon as possible. I appreciate any suggestions you may have.
Our most important task in life is to find out who we are. Our True Self is who we are from the beginning, in the mind and heart of God. The Zen masters use to say, “The face we had before we were born.” It’s who we were before we did anything right or anything wrong. It is our real self, our absolute identity, which can be neither gained nor lost by any technique, group affiliation, morality or formula whatsoever.
Our false self is who we want others to think we are. It often involves our roles in life, our job, the way we present ourselves to others and the masks we hide behind. To discover the person behind the mask, we have to be willing to surrender our false self and be willing to expose our true identity.
This is always scary: what if I am not accepted for who I am? What if no one will love the real me? It’s risky to “come out” and be the person God wants us to be. However, we must never be afraid to take that risk. We will never be happy until we do.
The true purpose of religion is to lead us to an experience of our True Self in God. Every sacrament, every Bible, every church service, every song, every bit of priesthood or ceremony or liturgy is for one purpose: to allow us to experience our True Self, whom we are in God and who God is in us.
St. Teresa of Avila said it well, “Today may there be peace within. May you trust that you are exactly where you are meant to be. May you not forget the infinite possibilities that are born of faith in yourself and others. May you use the gifts that you have received and pass on the love that has been given to you. May you be content with yourself just the way you are. Let this knowledge settle into your bones and allow your soul the freedom to sing, dance, praise, and love. It is there for each and every one of us.”
May God give us the grace to find the “pearl of great price” within each of us.
