Simplicity
Think of the Lord in goodness, and seek Him with simplicity of heart.—Wisdom 1:1
How do we live a simple life? A simple life of love is a noble path and requires being present in the moment. It is not easy and necessitates an intentional focus of less. Truth, goodness and beauty are the nuances every day. If we put our hand on the pulse of life’s heart we will discover the extraordinary in the midst of “the pedestrian sequence of a working day”. Too often we mistakenly substitute the production and glamour for real importance, and miss simple beauty God provides every day.
Many of the mystics and Saints lived ordinary lives that were extraordinary because of their simple faith each day. Simple elements become majestic when we no longer are able to take for granted that a person,place or thing will be a part of our tomorrow. It then becomes a rare and important thing. Caryll Houselander, a mystic in the 20th century wrote about a picture painted by Sir William Orpen during the First World War.The artist painted a soldier lying dead in a dugout, round him the litter of battle. Because the boy was dying the ordinary took on a glowing vision of importance as he looked upon simple water, wire, boots, “But the light, the sky, the pools of water, the barbed wire, even the litter and the dead man’s cracked boots, are so uncannily beautiful that one has the sense of seeing them with the dead boy’s vision, seeing them with the sudden sharp awareness of how beautiful the world is that possesses one when death is imminent.”* And so it is in the small pool of water inthe holy water fount, the wood of the pew, the doorknobs, or cracks in the steps, they are seen with an awareness of sharp, simple beauty when loss is imminent.
Various cultures and religious traditions present simplicity in some form as an ideal. The Eastern art of wabi-sabi finds beauty in its barest essence; simple, slow, uncluttered, revering authenticity and its perfection, sincerity of heart. Tibetan and Buddhist monks were admired for their spiritual asceticism, a lifestyle of such simplicity that it was cut to its most essential elements. Haiku poetry is pared down to barest syllables and elements. Thoreau wrote of his appreciation of simplicity while living on Walden Pond, “with a dish of vegetables picked in the neighboring fields, and listening to the pattering of a gentle spring rainfall.” Later saying that, “our life is frittered away by detail. Simplify, simplify.”
Jesus asks us to be simple of heart, pure of heart, become (simple) like children. Simplicity seems to be a matter of surrender and the integrity of love that such surrender allows complete dedication to God of mind and heart. Simplicity is closely identified with truth, purity of intention, humility, and lack of all pretenses. Thomas Aquinas said, “Only God is altogether simple in His perfection.”
In Western monasticism simplicity is often presented as among the most characteristic of monastic virtues. It recognizes the gradual simplification that occurs in contemplative prayer as one that is gradually divested of all particular thoughts and attachments and becomes illuminated bythe simple light of God. Monastic life is simplicity in personal prayer,communal worship, conversation, dress, food, possessions, and all other areas considered in the manuals of ascetical theology. These become expressions of the deeper simplicity of wholehearted dedication to God and neighbor. What is vitally important concerns=20the coming of the reign of God—an inner simplicity of preparation. Mystical prayer or higher contemplative states are a flight from the world into simple union with the One.
Franciscan spirituality too is humble, the vow of poverty cutting away excess to a life to grateful prayer. St. Francis hails, “Queen Wisdom…with your sister, holy pure Simplicity”.
St. Therese of Lisieux lived her childlike faith with an unwavering focus on the simple and ordinary. She expressed childlike wonder,awed by the simple, and surrendered in childlike trust. Beauty abounds, spilling out in a childlike simplicity of faith. Her simplicity became known as the“little way.” This little way allowed her to become a disciple of Jesus Christ, seeking holiness everyday in everything, seeking Christ in all things, in routine and ordinary living. In her autobiography she guides us, “The closer one approaches to God, the simpler one becomes” adding that “for simple souls there must be no complicated ways.”* The childlike focus of her spirituality allowed her to do the very ordinary with extraordinary love.
John O’Donohue described the way in which the “Moments begin to braid your day.” Suddenly the fugitive, shy and simple presence of God’s beauty is center stage. The steam rising off of morning coffee, fog rising off of morning dew, the poetry of an autumn day, the smile of a loved one, all become brilliant glimmerings heralding the presence of God.
Living a life of simplicity the clutter and complexities recede, leaving the essence of God.
For those who choose to become simple, they do not reject the complexities of the world; rather they learn to live in it. Our Lord’s life was crisscrossed with the complexities of His human relationships, and a mission which many rejected, even His best and most ardent followers tripped on it. Jesus does however manifest one wondrous secret about simplicity of hearts.If your life has become incredibly complicated, then you need to place the deepest spaces of your heart in the hands of God the Father, in simple trusting obedience. This is what allowed Christ Himself to accept whatever convoluted moment came next. Jesus utterly trusted that the Father was with Him in every encounter. This grace of simplicity made everything possible. It is precisely in accepting each complex moment with a hopeful, trusting heart we come to understand all is for the Kingdom of God, and for the glory of God.*
Endeavor to live a life of simple, ordinary beauty, in the “little way”, with a simplistic intention and purity of love. Venture to live within the mundane, chaotic, fragmented, complex and ordinary. It is not easy to speak with plain sincerity. It is not easy to struggle to be content with having just enough to be generous and caring. We are easily tempted to be evasive, manipulative, controlling, or more complex than need be. It is only through prayerful meditation and consistent examination of conscience that we can live the simplicity of Jesus.
We cannot force reality to be simple, but we can allow reality to be as complex as it needs to be. The beauty of this is that this simplicity allows us to be ever near the heart of God, no matter what is happening. We each have a unique mission. There is much to do in our world, and the people, tasks, and concerns,demand our moments. The complexity of our world will not disappear, but the Lord may bless us with a deeper simplicity which will not go away either.
SOURCES:
*O’Donohue, Beauty: The Invisible Embrace (Harper Collins Publisher, 2004), p. 22.
* Mayeski, Marie Anne, Editor. Rocking Horse Catholic. (MO:Sheed & Ward, 1991), p. 34.
* Saint Therese of Lisieux. Story of a Soul, p. 151
*Father Robert McCreary, O.F.M.,Cap., writings 2004.
Posted by Debra Classen at 10/1/2009 9:05 PM 
Categories: Reflections
Tags: simplicity goodness truth beauty
Categories: Reflections
Tags: simplicity goodness truth beauty
Beautiful! Thank you for that gentle and inspiring post. Simplicity is something that always seems to be tugging at my sleeve, and I find it reassuring to think that it is a kind of calling. Not that I'm particularly good at it, but it is very refreshing to hear other people talk about this aspect of faith. Thank you.
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A lovely message about simplicity. I especially loved the paragraph about simplicity allowing the clutter of our lives to recede, yielding the most cluttered areas of our hearts to Jesus, that simplicity allowed Jesus to approach the convoluted moments of his daily life with total trust in the Father's Will. Thank you.
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