Energy Follows Attention

Monday of the Third Week of Lent

A basic law of the psychological and spiritual life is that energy follows attention. In today’s gospel passage the people in the synagogue paid close attention to Jesus’ words. Infuriated by his references, they put their energy into driving him out of town with the intent to destroy him, but “he passed through the midst of them and went away.” Today let’s focus our attention on our resilience. It’s been a year since the stay-at-home orders have been in place. Let’s restore our enthusiasm to do anything for God and neighbor. Chardin described how effective such attention can be when he wrote: “If you focus on giving and receiving love, your thinking will change for the better. If you focus on thinking good thoughts, your heart will grow more loving. The heart and mind are always interacting in concert.” Attend to giving and receiving love today. Check thoughts that are only coping; turn your thoughts to hoping.