Padre Pio Parish Glenmore Park

Have you ever thought of yourself as “holy”? Do you know that the word Holiness is related to the word whole-ness. We show holiness when we live lives of integrity and truth, that is, wholesome and integrated lives in which we are close to others while being close to God. I often tell people with problems in their lives that they need to re-balance their “life wheel”. With God in the centre our life wheel rotates harmoniously, but with ourselves in the centre, we will feel the lack of centrality or feel the imbalance.

The other factor you need to consider when you want a balanced life is that we are made up of body, mind and spirit (or soul). All three are equally important. One is not more important that the other. Some people put too much emphasis on one or other of these elements of their life and the consequences are obvious to all but themselves.

I can usually see a person who is “out of balance”. The imbalance shows itself in some kind of addiction. Addictions to alcohol or drugs like nicotine or medication are most obvious but some addictions are not that visible to untrained observers: addictions to sexual activity, gambling, indulgences like chocolate, eating too much or spending money on oneself are also indications of a person who needs rebalancing. So how do you get back your life balance? By putting increased emphasis on those elements that are neglected. Noticeably, the soul. Give time to develop your spiritual awareness.

Most people will readily admit to not doing enough physical exercise but few would realise that physical exercise can link very easily to spiritual awareness. I do a large portion of my prayer while walking or jogging. I usually pray the rosary when I swim laps at the pool. I will make verbal conversation with God when I am walking in the bush and I most feel God’s presence when I can see the creation He had made.

I also develop my mind by learning languages. I read the dictionaries of Italian, Tagalog and Vietnamese while I have breakfast every day and challenge myself to learn one new word daily. This has all helped me to learn people’s names when I first meet them and allows me to practice the power of recall. Now I tell you none of this to boast but to encourage. If you spend more time developing each part of your self: Mind, Body and Soul you will soon see your whole life becoming more centred and you will immediately feel the effects.

The first thing you will notice is that you will become more harmonious in your relationships. People will notice that you are happier. I emphasise that all this will take constant effort. You can’t just do your exercise on a sporadic basis. It must be daily. As all the saints will tell you, you can’t have a vacation from your vocation. In a similar way, you can’t slacken off in the spiritual life.Daily prayer, exercise and mental activity will necessarily lead to a happier and more fulfilling life. You will feel more ‘centred’ and your major life’s problems will appear to disappear.

I urge everyone who wants to be more in tune with God to make some personal sacrifices to gain some tangible results. God always helps those who want to be helped. If you are interested in learning how to pray in nature join the Padre Pio Bushwalking group. Regular walks are organised for those who want to experience how St Francis of Assisi prayed to God whilst communicating with His creatures. You should be a little better than average fitness and be committed to growing in health and happiness.

If you want to learn more about any of what I have written send me an email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it