Second Manresa lecture explores the mysteries of life
| Words of wisdom - During Father Nick Schiro’s second lecture, he quoted these prayerful words of St. Augustine. Manresa group #29 retreatants quickly adopted these words and entered them in the registry by which the retreat will be remembered. | |||
It’s 9:00 AM on Friday at Manresa, and 109 men trickle into Loyola Hall for the second lecture of their July 2004 retreat. Each man settles into the same chair he sat in during the lecture last night, the same upholstered chair he will use for each of 11 lectures on this retreat. Each man sits silently. Each man is alone in prayer, yet all are united in faith. Just after the bell gently chimes across campus, the retreatmaster, Father Nick Schiro, S.J., enters the room from the rear. He begins with the sign of the cross, and follows with the same prayer he recites at the outset of each lecture: “Grant, O Lord, that all our thoughts, words, actions and intentions of this period may be directed purely to the praise, reverence and service of your Divine Majesty." As his lecture unfolds, the men hear him explain the difference between problems and mysteries. Many of the men may already know the difference, but here at Manresa they have the priceless luxury of contemplating this - and so many other topics - more deeply. The priest says that problems all have an answer, even though we may not know their answer. He offers several examples from science, and here and there in the audience several men nod in agreement. “On the other hand,” he says, “mysteries are bigger than problems. They cannot be proved, they require faith.” As examples, he offers several questions, including “What is love?” and “What is God?” Father Schiro says that when people try to turn mysteries into problems, which they are not, confusion follows. The two greatest mysteries, according to the priest, are God and ourselves. He says that when we come into human existence, it’s like watching a bird fly through a large room - in through one open door and out of another. We don’t know anything about the bird before he flies in or after he leaves; all we see is the bird flying through the room - which represents our life. The priest offers another example of the same principal. He tells the men of a movie about a young unmarried woman who is pregnant. It is appropriately titled “Full of Life”. In the movie, the woman is concerned about her child’s future and about being able to provide for its well-being. A wise person advises her that when her child grows up, there will only be three questions that she will need to answer: Where did I come from, why am I here, and where am I going. Father Schiro explores each question.
WHERE DID I COME FROM?
Where I came from is a mystery, not a problem. There is a choice we must make – it is an act of faith. We must either believe that something always existed, or that someone (who created that something) always existed. As Catholics, we believe that we come from a God who loves us. He made an intelligent decision with His free will to create us. He loves us for who we are, with all of our strengths and weaknesses. Father Schiro says with humility, “I am like Swiss cheese. Yes, I’m full of holes but the holes help make me what I am.” This elicits a chuckle from the men, and several identify with the statement. He continues, “If God chose to make me, I am His. I belong to Him.”WHY AM I HERE?
After a brief pause during which the men ponder the previous question, Father Schiro hypothetically asks, “Why am I here?” He rephrases the question, “Why did God choose to make me?” God put us here not to get something from us, but to share something with us. He shares Himself with us. It is through Him sharing the fullness of His life that we enjoy life. Love is about giving, not getting. Pure love is spending oneself for another. This is how we become more Christ-like. St. Augustine said “A friend is someone we know everything about and we love them anyway.” He also prayed, “You made us for Yourself alone O God and our hearts are restless until they rest with You.” We are always reaching for something better (like a child who first wants a tricycle, then a bicycle, then a 10 speed, then an old used car, then the latest sports car). The very fact that I have a need for the infinite (God) helps prove that He exists.WHERE AM I GOING?
We are going to God. Our faith is our way, our means to God. Our destiny is to be with God. Heaven is our home, and life is a journey toward God.