Tuesday, December 5, 2006

Seize the moment, carpe diem


Two days ago in many places around the world we celebrated the first Sunday in Advent. Advent comes from the latin adventus which means coming. For someone like me who believes in Jesus Crist advent is a very joyfull time of the year. At the same time it is sometimes hard to combine with the histery of commerce on the streets. Although it's lovely to see the Christmas decorations it is hard to have inner stillness and time to enjoy life and enjoy the moment. Which brings me to the subject for my writing today.

What is really to seize the moment, making reference to latin again what is it to "carpe diem"? I have realized that the only way is to live every moment making a difference knowing that that moment won't come back and if we haven't filled it with everlasting things it will be just gone for ever, lost I could say. What do I mean by everlasting things? Something so old and so simple (but not easy) as love. I read a book recently written by a vietnamese bishop (Francis Xavier Nguyen van Thuan) who said that to be alive is to love. I agree totally, what other can give sense to life? Francis Xavier was arrested and imprisoned for 12 years by the communists. In his book he leaves a lovely testimony of love during his imprisonment. He could have focused on the day when he would be free, but he didn't know when that day would come or if it would come at all, so instead he lived carpe diem, he ceased the day. He made everyday count.

I would like to send a message of hope and peace. To all that are coping at this time with hard moments and difficult situations. To all those who focus on the future so much so that they forget to live the present... when I'm healthy again, next year, when I change jobs, when the baby gets older...all these can be replaced by: until I get healthy I will make everyday count ...this few weeks that are left of this year I will make them count...until I change jobs I will do my best in my actual one, trying to like it if I don't... and babies getting older... well that is a chapter in itself (I'll come back on it).

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