The joy of conversion, Christian community, and the Catholic faith
After a few years, I became a Catholic in name only. I had a lot of misconceptions about God. I could not conceive that the God of the whole universe loved me, nor did I know that he wanted a personal relationship with me. I was told that he loved me, but I never experienced that love. After ten years, our marriage became a rocky road. By now we had five children and I was working two jobs to make ends meet. I complained a lot, was irritated and frustrated.
First, God is the initiator, but we need to respond. Most of the time I didn’t know what I was doing, but that wasn’t important. I was doing what God set before me at the time.
Second, his Spirit aroused a hunger within me. God uses the events of life to get our attention; sometimes he speaks in a quiet voice. We should never ignore these movements or let something else take their place. Keep seeking the Lord where he may be found.
Third, when presented with opportunities to surrender to God—let go! I believe the mindset where I told myself, “I’m not turning back,” kept me making the hard choices that allowed God to work in my life.
St. Luke’s gospel this Sunday tells us that two disciples, Cleopas and an unnamed disciple, had left Jerusalem even though the women had told them that Jesus’ body was not in the tomb and that they had seen him in his new presence. These two disciples were walking along to Emmaus and a stranger began to walk with them as they were talking about those things that had happened to Jesus. This stranger they did not recognize began to explain why Jesus had to go through those things. Briefly, it was toward evening and they stopped at an inn for dinner and rest. When did they recognize him it was Jesus? At the meal when he took the bread, blessed and broke the bread. They had been at the Last Supper. Their eyes were opened yet Jesus instantly vanished. They ran back to the Upper Room to tell the others. This story is critical. Pray and think about it.
Wednesday of Holy Week Breaking His Heart
Imagine how Jesus must have felt when he was betrayed by Judas. For the mere price of thirty pieces of silver, Judas led the soldiers to where Jesus was praying in the Garden of Gethsemane. There, he kissed Jesus on the cheek: a signal telling the soldiers who to arrest. Judas had been one of Jesus’ dearest friends. Not only did that betrayal shatter Jesus’ heart, it cost him the price of his life.
Wednesday, Fifth Week of Lent What Do We Idolize?
They have cast for themselves an image of a calf, and have worshiped it and sacrificed to it, and said, “These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!” EXODUS 32:8
The people in the Old Testament often created golden calves or other images to worship. Instead of praying to God, they’d bow down and pray to these idols instead. They believed they’d help their crops grow or bring them victory in battle.
As this virus spreads, many will be called from earthly life. Let us get our life in order and be ready to go with Jesus if he comes for us. Get on the web and look up some definitions of what the scriptures say about heaven and what the church has developed since then. Read stories about people who had departed this life and were sent back. They tell us some wonderful stories of what is on the other side and “not to be afraid of death.”