Introduction
One of the cornerstones in my life is Spirituality.
Being raised a Catholic, getting away from organized religions, exploring esoteric traditions through college, questioning God's existence, coming back and making peace with it... This whole "hero's journey" was fundamental to my development as an adult.
In this kind of journey, you usually find people that really have an impact on you. In my case, that person was Father Carlos Jorge.
I've talked about him previously, on my invitation to a Modern Golden Age post and, recently, on this prayer to Métis. The reason why I bring him up from time to time is due to his impact on the way I relate to myself, others, ideas, actions, and the world as a whole.
He's a priest with a great combination between critical thinking and hope, demystifying the Bible, helping people understand practical ways to implement those principles in their lives. He's a great orator and I always enjoyed his stories and the way he embodies the principles he shares.
I was lucky enough to have him as a friend and mentor while I was a young man before he left my hometown. Even so, he remains someone who's not only important to me but also whom I look for, in moments of realignment, drinking from his wisdom.
Recently, life found a way to remind me that he wrote a book.
It was laying on a bookshelf, at my parent’s place, and I realized I had never read it. I quickly decided to change that.
A few days earlier I had gotten into a discussion about God and Spirituality and ended up "violating" some of my own principles in a discussion, becoming someone I don't like while holding that conversation. I had failed to be humble, crowning arrogance instead of love, the fundamental aspect of any religion or spiritual journey. This book was a great way to get in touch with ideas that portray God the way I believe him to be.
So, what is it about?
Context on the Book
For years, Fr. Carlos wrote a small chronicle about life and religion in a local newspaper called "O Alcoa", from my hometown, Alcobaça.
These were compiled by the newspaper team and form the majority of "Words of God and words of men".
As I told you in my last "booknotes", I like to wrestle with an author in a book. However, in this case, most notes are merely affirmations or developments of his ideas.
I'm fully aware of my own bias. So much so that, some of these are direct "affirmations" or "prayers", rendering them "useless" to someone who does not believe in God. If that's you, feel free to skip this post.
If not, here are my notes.
Permanent Notes
When you're seeking true love, you don't want to know more about whoever is in front of you because that doesn't matter.
When you seek true love, you want to be close to anyone.
Serving God, being a good human being, bringing a Modern Golden Age...none of these are possible if we don't develop a great relationship with Love and other people. All of these different thinkers, entrepreneurs and friends I've talked with, point out that developing friendships and kindness are key factors to bringing transformation to human beings and, eventually, a Golden Age.
Instead of just focusing on your small, niche group, try working on the ability to speak to anyone, to be interested in anyone, to actually love and try to build the best relationships with people. That's a small step you can do that will create ripples all around human history.
There's a shared connection between your heart and God's.
Once you tune into that connection, both Earth's and Heaven's treasures become available.
There are things that matter on an "earthly plan" and there are things that matter on a "heavenly" one.
You can think of an "after-death" promise, of course, but I believe this is more practical. This is about the pieces of Heaven, inhabiting our world, just like Italo Calvino pointed out.
You're finally able to break from desires instilled by others (either in the form of individuals or societal principles) and let go of an almost dictatorial abidance for beliefs and practices in modern society that don't make sense, focusing on the things that actually matter.
There's a difference between believing that, within you, lives a pretend God, created out of your whims and conveniences, or a God that both challenges and loves you.
The whole reason why I got into this book, as I mentioned before, was a discussion about spirituality. This idea really resonated because it pinpointed what was wrong with my attitude towards that specific conversation.
Constantly twitching a divine figure according to your whims and situations obstructs the ability to actually be transformed by that figure and grow with it. The true power of an idea will dissipate since you keep changing it to justify past actions instead of using it as a compass for future ones.
God, as Fr. Carlos points out, loves you unconditionally while challenging you every day to be better.
The pursuit of our internal seed, the unchangeable nature within, is where true power lies.
Fr. Carlos starts by quoting a poem by Khalil Gibran:
The snow and the storm kill the flower,
but they got nothing on the seeds.
The more focused we are on our internal seed, the easiest it is to become antifragile. When we embark on this pursuit of our inner being, we discern our own core and we let go of our own limitations: the different identities streaming from the internal seed we carry within us. Our "flowers" are fragile manifestations of our true selves, dependent on the context, situation, people around us, or even the phase of life we're in.
The true nature of who we are is the unchainable, unchangeable nature within. That's what each one of us must pursue.
God's true power lies in the ability to change both the internal and external world.
Even though, most times, we pray for a change in what's outside, God knows that the true transformation lies in changing within.
This was my own conclusion from a story that he tells in the book about this couple with a disabled son.
Here's a direct quote, from the child's father:
We prayed a lot so that God would heal the disability in our son. And God listened to our prayers. But not in the way we expected. Truthfully, our son wasn't healed. God healed me and my wife: now we live in peace and joy for having a son like this.
Affirmations/Prayers
With God within us, we will push through all storms, no matter how dark and scary, and we'll face the immense challenges the future holds, with simple serenity and saintly hope.
We'll leave behind egoisms that petrify, the worries that distress us, the complacency that installs, the sinister envy that corrupts. We will take any moment until Love wins. We want to keep marching. Free. Until the end. Nothing will stop us.
I run so that Eternity starts here.
No torment can scare or defeat us. Not because we are great heroes or fantastic adventurers but because the sap of the great sailors circulates within us, and we trust the One who even wind and sea obey.
Lord, look out for us,
since the ocean is so big
and our boat is so small.
Amen.
"You know Jonas - he told me - it's costly, for many, to accept that they are not immovable, unchangeable mass, but projects being constructed. That, every day, we can transfigure ourselves, that we yearn to travel continuously beyond our horizon."
Conclusion
That's it, friends.
Unfortunately, the book is no longer for sale.
However, I hope this edition of "booknotes" can actually help you savor the wisdom that Father Carlos carries.
I’ll see you at the next one.