In Simone Weil’s letter, “Reflection on the Right Use of School Studies with a View to the Love of God”, she expresses that the pathway to a strengthened relationship with the Lord can come through a curious and often unthought of source: our studies. Weil believes that as we learn to focus on our schooling that we can also use that increased focus to obtain a greater relationship with the Lord. We learn to devote full attention to our schooling when we are studying and Weil believes that studying should be an intense and rigorous activity. With that intensity comes new knowledge and an enlargement of our ability to focus; with that greater ability to focus on our studies, we also can develop a deeper relationship with God. I have learned
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Weil believes that even though we seemingly fail at a task, we still are succeeding because we are allowing ourselves to gain the ability to focus, and with that focus we can dive deeper into our spiritual understanding. So even though we might still fail our geometry, or calculus class in my case, we still are making strives in another more “mysterious dimension” (2). Even when we fail, from an academic point of view, we still are succeeding from a spiritual and knowledge based perspective since we are increasing our attention span and our ability to focus on tasks. Weil mentions John Baptiste in her letter to her father mentioning his struggles to learn Latin, never quite achieving the progress and triumph that he desired, nevertheless, he went on to be an remarkably successful priest. Weil would argue that despite his failure of his original studies, he was able to grow a deeper mind and with that deeper mind and ability to focus John Baptiste was able to dive deeper into the spiritual aspect of his life and go on to do great things. I agree with her completely, when we learn the ability to focus we can apply that focus to all aspects of our lives, even if it does not match up with what we were initially focusing …show more content…
Weil says, “… that school studies are quite as good a road to sanctity as any other.” (3) which I take as her saying that with the increase of the ability to focus and the deeper thinking mindset that increasing our focus causes, we can grow closer to the Lord and develop some of the fruits of the spirit. Patience, goodness, faithfulness, and self-control are a few of the fruits of the spirit that can be developed over time when we are able to increase our focus through our studies. If we are able to increase our sanctity like Weil says, then when we give one hundred percent pure devotion why would we not be able to develop the fruits of patience and self-control? Patience and self-control are the essential tools in which we learn how to achieve a greater and deeper focus. Goodness and faithfulness are harder to explain when we think on the surface, but I believe that when we have that pure and intense devotion we can also transfer that devotion to our Lord and become more faithful in our walk with Him, and with that greater faith we better understand the goodness of Him. I believe that this is what Weil was trying to get across to the reader, she believes that our studies are not just to increase our knowledge, but to also increase our bond with the Lord in a way that goes beyond anything that
Weil believes that even though we seemingly fail at a task, we still are succeeding because we are allowing ourselves to gain the ability to focus, and with that focus we can dive deeper into our spiritual understanding. So even though we might still fail our geometry, or calculus class in my case, we still are making strives in another more “mysterious dimension” (2). Even when we fail, from an academic point of view, we still are succeeding from a spiritual and knowledge based perspective since we are increasing our attention span and our ability to focus on tasks. Weil mentions John Baptiste in her letter to her father mentioning his struggles to learn Latin, never quite achieving the progress and triumph that he desired, nevertheless, he went on to be an remarkably successful priest. Weil would argue that despite his failure of his original studies, he was able to grow a deeper mind and with that deeper mind and ability to focus John Baptiste was able to dive deeper into the spiritual aspect of his life and go on to do great things. I agree with her completely, when we learn the ability to focus we can apply that focus to all aspects of our lives, even if it does not match up with what we were initially focusing …show more content…
Weil says, “… that school studies are quite as good a road to sanctity as any other.” (3) which I take as her saying that with the increase of the ability to focus and the deeper thinking mindset that increasing our focus causes, we can grow closer to the Lord and develop some of the fruits of the spirit. Patience, goodness, faithfulness, and self-control are a few of the fruits of the spirit that can be developed over time when we are able to increase our focus through our studies. If we are able to increase our sanctity like Weil says, then when we give one hundred percent pure devotion why would we not be able to develop the fruits of patience and self-control? Patience and self-control are the essential tools in which we learn how to achieve a greater and deeper focus. Goodness and faithfulness are harder to explain when we think on the surface, but I believe that when we have that pure and intense devotion we can also transfer that devotion to our Lord and become more faithful in our walk with Him, and with that greater faith we better understand the goodness of Him. I believe that this is what Weil was trying to get across to the reader, she believes that our studies are not just to increase our knowledge, but to also increase our bond with the Lord in a way that goes beyond anything that