Once we have all we need and even most of what we want, why are we not satisfied? If what I have is working for me, why would I want to change? The reason why we continue to work for more has to do with an overemphasis on the material life and an underemphasis of the spiritual life. We are both body and spirit, and both our material and our spiritual realities must be recognized. But how they relate to one another is very important. Our spirit has to take the leading role in our lives, if we are to experience peace and fulfilment. St. Paul reminds us to “live by the spirit, and do not gratify the desires of the flesh” (Gal5:16). If we allow the Spirit to guide us, then we will also know how to respect the body and enter into a proper relationship with the created world. If, on the other hand, we allow the body to guide our spirit, then we will always feel dissatisfied, and we will find peace neither in the material world nor in our spirit. Notice how many people who live by the desires of the flesh are never satisfied. What they have is never good enough, and they spend their lives perpetually racing towards something new and different. They become slaves to this world, to their desires, and to the flesh. They work more than they should for the things that they really don’t need. Their relationships are shallow and fleeting, as they are at war with the very world they are working to conquer. Those who live the spiritual life, on the other hand, are happy with what they have because they realize that all is a gift. Their relationships become most important, and they work at building relationships with God and with people. For those guided by the Spirit things become useful only inasmuch as they assist in their life of relationships. These are the people that are able to experience the beginning of Heaven. Let’s stop the race for the material things! Let’s stop the pursuit of earthly pleasures! “Seek the Lord, while He may be found. Call on Him while He is near; let the wicked forsake their way, and the unrighteous their thoughts; let them return to the Lord, that He may have mercy on them, and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon” (Is54:6-9)
Fr. Wojtek Kuzma