"All Things Bright and Beautiful"

As an elementary school student growing up in Festac, we used to sing this song:

All things bright and beautiful

All creatures great and small

All things wise and wonderful

The Lord God made them all

The day is bright and beautiful today. It's a fall-like summer day. It's not too warm, and it's not cold. It's just right. It's like the little bear's porridge which Goldilocks tasted and declared to be just right, unlike the papa and the mama bears' porridges that were too hot and too cold respectively. Like Goldilocks, I'm soaking the day in. I think it's going to be a good day. Black Eyes Peas sings to confirm it. I, like he does, have a feeling of optimism about today. It already has started well. I woke up at 6 a.m. prompt, thanks to my alarm system. I then hit the showers and did all the morning clean-up ritual. By six-thirty I was in the sacristy setting up for mass, which started at seven and at which I served on the altar with Fr Godwin. I'm now in my room writing this and preparing for classes later today: Modern Philosophy and Foundations of Catholicism. It truly is going to be a good day - I do feel it!

All things remain bright and beautiful. The birds are flying still in the blue sky above; the rodents and all creatures of the land still crawl about their daily businesses; we humans are still teleologically positioned in our search for happiness; a search that does not tire us out; a search that consists in epistemology and ethics; a holy search, proposed by Aristotle the eternal wise man. Speaking of 'Totle, I'm going to be learning a lot from him this semester. About 80% of what we're going to be doing in Metaphysics is going to be about him. I remember that the question Fr Adegbite asked me when he was trying to dissuade me from becoming a priest was: Can you do metaphysics? Back then I told him I could, even though I hadn't the slightest idea what metaphysics was. Now, I do, and I'm facing it head on for the first time. How hard can it be? I'll find out in these four months. I mean, all priests have at some point in their career taken a class in it; not to mention all philosophy majors and professors. Nevertheless, I've heard it's quite the toughest class to take in philosophy - practically everyone says this. "Phew! Save me O God, I trust in you." 

I'll stop by the library and the bookstore today and, between these two halls, I'll arrange for all the textbooks I'll be using this semester. I didn't read at all this summer - how lazy of me! Now though, I've got to hit them books, as they say. Lazy people never thrive. And I do want to thrive. I want to succeed well this semester. Starting early to prepare is the best way to succeed. There can be no doubt of it. Let me quickly just say though that I love my school. I love Catholic University. It is challenging and interesting at the same time. The professors do a hell of a lot, and they inspire me. Smart, professional, talented - these individuals endeavor to bring out the best in their students. God bless Catholic U! I've enjoyed each day I've spent here. I'm making new friends everyday and retaining old ones. By the way, I saw Emanuel yesterday - you know the one I said I would ask about World Youth Day when I saw him on the day school resumed? I did see him. Apparently, we'll be in Metaphysics together for the entire semester. Good guy, Emanuel. Easy to like, and easy on the eyes, for the benefit of the ladies if you know what I mean (winks). 

I have another classmate also in my metaphysics class. His name is Akolla. He was in about three classes with me last semester: Logic, New Testament and Medieval Philosophy. He's a Franciscan Capuchin friar; a funny, happy-go-lucky, soccer-playing, bright-eyed African chap, originally from Cameroon. He, like Emanuel, is easy on the eyes for the ladies. He has a funny way of talking, and whenever I talk with him, I have to switch codes, from regular English - the kind I speak with Emanuel and my other local friends - to pidgin English, the kind I speak with internationals. It's fun. For instance yesterday I was walking toward the library from metaphysics class with Akolla, and we were conversing in pidgin English, and then Emanuel caught up with us and immediately I switched from the pidgin I had been speaking with Akolla to regular English so I could converse properly with Emanuel, and then back to pidgin again when I wanted to resume conversation with Akolla - how dramatic and interesting. Life indeed is funny and complicated. Who was it that said we wear many faces in the course of the day in order to adapt and perform in various life situations? The person - whoever he or she was - was right on. I do wear many faces, and hats too, in the course of my day, and as I wear each I hope to God it fits. 

All things will stay bright and beautiful. Another wise person did say that for every person that wishes us well, there's probably someone that wishes us ill. The devil, the worst entity ever, also wishes us ill and consistently sends us attacks, so as to make us join him eventually in hell. For me then, the devil will try everything so that I never become a priest; so that I end up in hell with him. He and his cohorts - the persons that wish me ill - will continue to send spiritual attacks and negative voltages my way, so as to deter me from my chosen vocation and obfuscate the life path God has designed for me. But God and his own cohorts - the persons that wish me well - are daily countering the attacks of the devil. My job is to do the best I can to play on God's team; to wish myself well, and see whether God and the rest of our team will win against the devil and his team. I mean, it's really going to be a hell of a game: God and his team - of which I am a member - and the devil and his team, to which all those that wish me ill belong. Let me see if God is as strong as I am told he is. Let me see if God will prevail over the devil. Psalm 46:10 commands: "Sit still and realize that I am God, supreme upon the heavens, supreme over the earth." I'm sitting still; I'm testing the veracity of this verse of scripture. It's true research, believe me. 

"Life will be victorious." With God on my team, I am optimistic about the future. The brightness and beauty of the days to come will astonish us with their intensity. We will "rejoice and be glad." We will succeed in all we do, and God will "bless the work of our hands." I believe and I hope, and I want to keep working at it. I want to play well for my team. I don't want to be in my own way, playing inadvertently for the opposite team, even while still a member of mine. I don't want to be like the soccer player, Andres Escobar. May his soul rest in peace. Pray with me then, please: Dear God, in your infinite mercy, grant me and all those who wish me well the grace and fortitude to play loyally and resourcefully for our team, a team of which you are captain, so that we may always realize who it is we are playing against - the devil and those that wish me ill - and never confuse our team mates with theirs. Help me never to inadvertently play against our team: may I never get in my own way, or do anything that would jeopardize our team's chances of winning this all-important game. Grant this prayer through your son, our teammate Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you together with the Holy Spirit that makes all things perennially bright and beautiful in an endless world like ours. Amen.