Ω CATHOLIC RETREAT- IDEALS

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*This is a presentation I prepared through guidelines for a Cursillo Mens Retreat.  Cursillo is a Catholic group dedicated to fostering Piety, Study, and Action.  Which are the three pillars of Cursillo.

Ω IDEALS

Now is the right moment to stop and think.  We have at stake a very important matter: no less than the meaning and direction of our own lives.  Nothing could concern us more, or be more important.  "As the artist removes himself from the picture he is painting in order to get a complete view and find out what has to be corrected, emphasized, or perfected: we too, are removing ourselves to be able to ask from within; the human person; what is, what is it’s purpose?"

In school we learned there are three natural kingdoms: The Mineral Kingdom: Lifeless things, they are not born, or reproduce, or die. The Vegetable Kingdom: Life appears, develops, reproduces, and dies; no emotion, no relationships, no sensitivity.  The Animal Kingdom: They are born, they have instinct for survival, reproduce and die.  Within the Animal Kingdom, above irrational animals, are Humans; Humans alone progress.

Humans possess intellect - The ability to understand, to find the truth. 
Humans possess freedom - The ability to choose, make decisions.  It is the ability to determine which of the tendencies of the will, will be actualized in a person’s life
Humans possess will - The ability to act, to move after something which is desired; drive.

Intellect, Freedom, and Will , are the three components which separate humans from the primates, and provide the majesty of our creation.  The consequences of our majesty are multi-fold.  We are not forced to grow, but can let ourselves stop growing and become stunted, and stagnant.

Excess in the material world - Materialism, is well known, especially in the west were our drive for material goods are frequently excessive.  The material side of  our person-hood  includes much that we must guide, and use, including our physical well being, and our neighbor’s well being, which is the calling of the Christ.

If a person develops only the material, then one becomes materialistic.  If one develops only the spiritual, then one could become spiritually inhibited, and uncaring for others.  If one develops only the intellectual, then one becomes lost in thought, failing to see the world as it truly is.  As people we must develop a balance of these concepts for us to grow into a full person. 

People are only complete when they give of themselves. They are most unhappy when they turn into themselves in selfishness, ignoring others, looking out only for their own happiness.  Christ showed many times the importance of being a servant to those in our sphere; our lives.

No material thing satisfies for very long, once attained, people desire only more.  Those who go after a goal in life, discover a new depth in their very being.  A capability they didn’t dream of before.  These new discoveries entice them onward, creating new dreams, and hopes.  Helping them to grow again and become even more of what they were created to be. 

All people, no matter what they are, or what abilities they seem to have, tap only a portion of that capacity.  Any limitation they have can be a motivating power; most of the time people fail to see the tremendous potential of  all that they could do if they were motivated enough.  People complain of no opportunity, but examples abound of people who have had overwhelming handicaps, and who were motivated to become great persons.  It is only weakness, or “ don’t get involved” attitudes that cause them to sit back  letting another opportunity go by.

All expressions of a person’s actions are tied up in a longing to be happy.  Consciously or unconsciously, everything they do is to satisfy a need they feel.  Only when they turn their needs, and their quest outside of themselves, do they begin to expand and meet a portion of their potential. True happiness exists only when they let themselves out totally for another, or for a certain goal.  This is the paradox of humanity.

All people are limited in their human capacious, and physical surroundings.  Dispute all their efforts, there is only so much they can do, and so much they can accomplish.  Their life is restricted by time and circumstance, which will always prevent them from achieving all of their goals.  There is only one area  of life that is not restricted, no mater what the physical and mental limitations.  This area is the core of their being, they’re very self.  As long as they allow themselves to be limited by their physical or mental capacities, they will find themselves frustrated and continually unsatisfied. 

It is only when persons learn that their inner being is theirs to govern, theirs to control, theirs to give or hold back, do they begin to discover were their true destiny lies.  No other being, or force, can make them do this.  Others may take all a person owns, all they are physically, and destroy it or control it, but nothing can control their being;  only they do. 

Once having discovered this, it requires that next step to enable a person to surge ahead.  Unless they are willing to give themselves, they are not free.  Freedom is to give; to exist not for themselves, but for others.  What a paradox.  Once persons truly give themselves away they discover that they are not controlled, but have total command of their being. 

Thus, a measure of their ideal is to measure the limit and direction of the love a person has, for it is only love turned outward which has the dazzling capacity to propel us towards our potential; and it is our life turned inward which can sink us into quagmire of self pity, hatred, and destruction. Since self-giving is the measure of human development; ascertaining were or to what a person gives oneself defines the measure of a person’s development.  The mature human being is the master of their own life.

Being fully human ride's hand in hand with the following;

Choose a goal of worth.
Let the goal and its criteria become our inner conviction.
Set the goal in an attractive and feasible light, so as to fill our aspirations
Which guide, and rule, the criteria of our actions.
So that achieving the goal becomes a way of life.

Thus, the goal governs, and transforms, a person as long as one pursues it.

All persons have a goal ( weather they know it or not ) in life, which governs the way they live.  We call the goal  each person is struggling to reach - the Ideal.  Each person has one Ideal. A person may have a number of  goals or objectives, but only one Ideal  The Ideal is the combination of the goals, and objectives.  The goals and objectives of a person are the components of the Ideal.  Each goal or objective has two components; the vision, and the motivation, both must be considered in developing the Ideal. 

As people live their lives they develop into certain types of people.  A person’s Ideal then is the picture of what they are headed for.  It is the unified combination of the goals they are headed for.  It is the image of what they want to become. 

Being aware of the Ideal each of us has, aids us in discovering what we are really like.  A person has an Ideal from childhood on; it may change in form, or type, but all people have their own.  Our Ideals change us.  They make us what we are.  Ideals are not simply external possessions like cars, or a bank account.  They enter into the process of determining what we are like.  They mark us.

The higher a person’s Ideal is,  the further one gets from the purely animal kingdom.  We become more of a human being.  An authentic Ideal must be capable of fulfilling every need of a person, but it must also be attainable.  The  perfect Ideal is one that can move a person constantly into an ever-growing awareness of life, and it’s meaning.  It must captivate, and be completely overwhelming in it’s meaning, so they can let themselves be one with it.  The authentic Ideal will never disappoint a person; it always offers more - and yet it is attainable.

It does no good to have a beautiful sounding goal whose results seem magnificent, but whose road, and short-term goal’s are vague, and unclear.  The result will be frustration, discouragement, and loss of motivation, and conviction. 

The authentic Ideal must have a set of progressive goals which are each attainable within a satisfactory time period; always able to present new goals requiring persons to exert themselves further for their completion.  The goals must inspire a person to be faithful to the prime Ideal, urging person’s to give a little more of themselves away to reach the goal, since the results are worth it.

A good Ideal can make life worth living, giving direction and purpose.  A good Ideal can help overcome difficulties, and limitations; and can help achieve something greater than they could before. A person’s Ideal is potentially more important than life it’s self.

That which is really worthwhile in human history is due to the Ideals people have held, and live for.  Animal’s do not have a history.  It is because of Ideal’s that people do have a history - a life history.  Principally, the authentic Ideal open’s  the possibility of achieving that full human potential.  It provides the key thrust’s of liberation, and motivation.  Enabling the person to achieve that full immersion of self-giving.  Only by having such an Ideal before them can person’s overcome the inner fears, and tension’s that hold them back.

The authentic Ideal has the power to enthrall a person, to beckon onward, ever onward.

There is a distinction between the Ideal’s we hold ( real ) and those Ideal’s we would like to believe we hold  (apparent).  Too many people tell themselves as well as others that their Ideal is some laudable goal.  While the life they live show’s a very different Ideal stamped within themselves.

Were are your thought’s?
How do you use your free time?
What most gives pleasure and joy in your life?
What is your ideal?