One would think that remaining focused on Jesus would be easy. Indeed, it is "simple" in the essence, the statement, to "focus on Jesus." But this nothing consecrated Catholic hermit realizes already that while it is simple enough to state and to desire, focusing on Jesus is not easy commensurate with the amount of distractions that abound to hijack simply to focus on Jesus.
We understand from the Gospel of John, Jesus' living Word recorded in 6:35-40, how and why Jesus is to be our focus. Jesus "came down from heaven not to do My own will but the will of the One Who sent Me." "Jesus said to the crowds, 'I am the bread of life; whoever comes to Me will never hunger, and whoever believes in Me will never thirst.'"
And, we are told all the more clearly by Jesus: "For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have eternal life, and I shall raise him on the last day.'"
Yet last night already I vented in an email my opinions and frustrations regarding someone who keeps building more problems and bad choices upon an initial bad choice. Now the complication is finally marrying and bringing a second child into the world, but the bad choice initially remains; and now there was the outcome of a choice to take the children and move out, and move in with the person texting the prayer request.
I did not simply keep my focus on Jesus. Rather I opined and offered advice, such as the one person in this complication of bad choices made upon bad choices over the course of now nearly five years and two innocent children later, is that the one person will need counseling with a clinical psychologist adept in video addictions and whatever else, and the other person would do well with counseling by a clinical psychologist on co-dependency and whatever else.
But the problem with what persons might need that would help them, is that most do not realize nor accept what would help, nor to the level of the person best suited to help--beyond a Masters' level counseling degree or the advice of others not trained or specialized in such matters.
All this of my mind and thoughts opining and frustrated over what could have been rather predictable in that most of us who are older have lived through and still do, is noting our human proclivity to make bad choices and heap more upon them until we face ourselves and others realistically. And what is obvious to me in its simplicity yet again clear: Focus on Jesus.
Had I focused on Jesus and not the complicated mess that the prayer request back-history entails, I'd not have spent time and energy and mental thought and heartfelt emotion on relaying the obvious frustrations and unasked-for advice.
Praying for conversions and deeper conversions is also simple enough. No need to go into all the thoughts and emotions of facts of bad choice begetting more bad choices upon bad choices like a kink or knot in yarn tangling all the more until a seemingly impossible entanglement of yarn requiring cutting out the knotted, tangled mess and starting over with far less yarn than one was given to begin with and try to continue the project of living based upon the effects of having to cut and begin again yet with the remnants and consequences of that mess created from persisting in bad choices.
This is true of all of us humans who take our eyes, minds, hearts, and souls off the focus on Jesus. Or, we might be praying and think we are including Jesus in "our" thoughts and actions, but we are not waiting in listening nor assuring ourselves of the reality that our focus is on Jesus. So many human and temporal factors, including the devil's quick movement in on any opening provided, easily distract and disrupt what on the outset or surface seems easy and simple enough: Focus on Jesus.
Even aspects of the temporal church, the more secular and human aspects, can sometimes distract us from a simple focus on Jesus. Our human weaknesses and natures can put a kink or knot and then over time make a mess of our simply focusing on Jesus in the way He desires and asks of us. Pride is a major bugaboo, and any type of pain or other weaknesses of body, mind, and emotions--especially of the senses.
My own more recent tendencies that have taken root as a result of higher level of physical pain and the weariness it engenders, is to distract from the pain with that which does not help me focus on Jesus. I can tell myself all kinds of excuses or reasons that I can make seem as if logical or not harmful. And having news droning in background noise or used as a distraction from pain, only keeps me from the energy I'd muster to focus on Jesus even if simply being still in the bed, and going into the pain rather than trying to run from it.
Or, I could focus on Jesus through more focus on His Word or focus on those who were adept and gained the ability to focus on Jesus in their life times on earth--focus on the saints and spiritual masters and their writings and advice or just let the mind think about them, such as Catherine of Siena today on her feast day. She focused on Jesus.
Facing reality in oneself when it comes to honestly noting if one has focus on Jesus, can be powerfully revealing. If it is not at all easy and not as simple as it seems on the face of those three words--focus on Jesus--then why is it difficult and complex? The answer lies within the person's mind, heart, and soul. If honest and one prays to have the curtains rent and the scales removed from one's eyes--inner eyes as well as outer--the reality of the various distractions that are not Jesus will be exposed.
Then one must decide to face that one prefers to focus on all these other things and situations and persons and ourselves that are entangling messes to one degree or other, or also just wastes of time and energy of God-created and given mind and heart and soul. Decide to focus on Jesus, or to focus part-time on Him, or mostly on Him or a tiny bit on Him, or focus all on Jesus.
I myself also must pray and sincerely ask Jesus what He truly wants of me.
I have repeated this prayer since late yesterday, and I know from spiritual experience over the years, and practical experience, also, that Jesus will answer and maybe already has. I have to be patient in the waiting to recognize the answer; that is the usual problem I face--not recognizing the answer that mostly Jesus gives me right away or fairly soon after I've asked Him for an answer. So Jesus in His mercy answers again and again in different ways to try to help me recognize His answer.
Already I think I know the answer to what Jesus truly wants of me, at least in the generalized answer. Jesus wants me to simply FOCUS ON HIM. That's a start, anyway, and likely the middle and end of it. Focus on Jesus. Whatever other I might find "to do" such as writing or getting out of bed and dressing and planting some geraniums and petunias that have been sitting in their containers too long already, wanting transplanting, can all be accomplished while I focus on Jesus.
This very post of which I am writing, is all about focusing on Jesus. It is simple when put in writing, and it is easy when I am reminded of the answer to my questions also being to focus on Jesus. Yes, years ago John the Baptist also tried to tell me how to learn and grow in Christ--and ended his private lesson locution to me by asking, "Now that is truly simple, is it not?" To keep going, to simply keep going.
I must simply keep going in focusing on Jesus. Just focus on Jesus, my true and only hope: Jesus. Focus on Jesus!
God bless His Real Presence in us!
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