Living in the Present Moment
Live in the Present Moment
One
St Faustina wrote: When I look into the future, I am frightened, But why plunge into the future? Only the present moment is precious to me, As the future may never enter my soul at all.
It is no longer in my power, to change, correct or add to the past; For neither sages nor prophets could do that. And so, what the past has embraced I must entrust to God.
O present moment, you belong to me, whole and entire, I desire to use you as best I can. And although I am weak and small, You grant me the grace of Your omnipotence.
And so, trusting in Your mercy, I walk through life like a little child, Offering You each day this heart Burning with love for Your greater glory.
Two
God is eternal. To be eternal means there is no past and no future. There is only the present moment. Therefore, God lives in the present moment. If you want to encounter God, then you must learn to live in the present moment. Satan wants to keep us from God. The strategy the devil employs is to keep us living in the future or the past so that we never experience God in the present. CS Lewis writes:
Humans live in time, but God destines them to eternity. He therefore, wants them to attend chiefly to two things, to eternity itself, and to that point of time which we call the Present. For the Present is the point at which time touches eternity. Of the present moment, and of it only, humans have an experience analogous to the experience which God has of reality as a whole; in it alone freedom and actuality are offered them.
God would therefore have them continually concerned either with eternity (which means being concerned with Him) or with the Present—either meditating on their eternal union with, or separation from, God, or else obeying the present voice of conscience, bearing the present cross, receiving the present grace, giving thanks for the present pleasure.
The devil’s business is to keep us away from the present by making us focus on the future… In a word, the Future is, of all things, the thing least like eternity. The Screwtape Letters (pp. 75-77).
Three
At all times, God wants us to fix our gaze on one of four things
1. His presence and our friendship with Him;
2. Doing the will of God in this present moment as it comes to us through the voice of conscience,
3. Bearing the present cross, (not future crosses, only the cross of this moment)
4. Giving thanks for the present good.
Jesus said to St. Catherine of Siena, “Catherine, think of me; if you do I will immediately think of you.” If we focus on God and doing His will in the present, HE will take care of our future concerns.
So, think – what does God want me to be doing right now - do that and stay focused it. Lose yourself in the thing you are doing in the present moment. If you’re working, or with your family, or reading a wonderful book – lose yourself in that and delight in it. You may have to look ahead to know where to go and what to do – but look ahead only for as long as it takes you to determine what to do next, then turn your attention back to the present and experience and hold yourself there. Do what you are supposed to do at this moment and lose yourself in it and delight in it. If you do, God will take care of the future.
Four
God wants us to take up our cross daily, but take up the cross of today, not the cross of the future. You will receive the grace and strength you need to carry the cross of today but not the strength to bear of all future crosses now. We can allow ourselves to be crushed by the weight of future imaginary crosses which weigh us down with so much anxiety and sadness – which make us unable to carry the cross of today. So why add the extra weight. You can bear the cross of this moment. I know you can. You just did. There, you just did it again. Plus, I know Jesus is bearing the present cross with you and will not abandon you. But he is not in the future crosses because God does not live in the future.
Five
God wants us to receive the present grace, giving thanks for good that is present to us. At every moment there is a good that God is giving us: His presence, our life, the meal we are eating, the drink we’re enjoying, the walk we are taking, the work we are doing, the music we are hearing – be aware of the good that is flowing in and be constantly thankful. Live in Gratitude for the present good that is flowing into your life constantly.