425th Meditation
“When your soul dwells too long in the world of nothingness, it grows emptier. Certain interests weaken your soul and keep it trapped in infertile spaces” (based on an inner word).
This exhortation is addressed to those who have already seriously set out to deepen their spiritual life. Even if the fundamental decision to follow the Lord unconditionally has already been made, it is necessary to remember it again and again and to defend it with wisdom from the influences of this world.
Indeed, it is not only sin that separates our soul from the Heavenly Father. Entertaining ourselves with useless and empty content also harms our focus on God. The almost global dominance of the internet – ever present on smartphones – and the countless media offerings increase the potential for distraction and dispersion to immeasurable levels. They prey on a person’s curiosity and not infrequently push it to the periphery. Therefore, great vigilance is required to use the media fruitfully and productively, without affecting the great treasure of our soul; namely, the indwelling of our Father in it. When the media are used uncritically and out of mere habit, certain attachments are created which are not easy to overcome, because these satisfy curiosity and a false thirst for knowledge.
Certainly our Father willingly grants us the spaces of rest and healthy recreation that are beneficial to us. But He distinguishes very well between what is really profitable and what is not.
In that sense, it would be good to examine in an intimate dialogue with our Father whether we are using the media in a profitable and fruitful way, or whether through them we are trying to fill certain “empty spaces of our soul” with useless or even harmful contents.