You Are Called To Be Glorified Today

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

The series of Christian Atheist continues this week.  Hopefully it will give all of us an insight into who we are and how we can live Lent well this year.  Also a good number of people signed up for the small group meeting which started on Thursday at 7 PM and it is not too late to join if you did not get a chance to do so over the weekend.  It is a grace to be able to do something like this in Lent.

The gospel helps us to look at how we pray. There may be many reasons why you don’t: you may feel you are not good at it, you don’t have the discipline or you tried it before and it didn’t work, and many others.  However, the gospel of the Transfiguration (Matthew 17: 1-9) can help us to renew our desires to have a deeper relationship with Christ and to begin or deepen the discipline of prayer.  Many people say they pray all the time; I do not know how to take that comment.  And even if they were praying all the time do they devote ten minutes exclusively to it each day.  This is what we are speaking about: setting aside a time and a place for ten or fifteen minutes each day, making room for God in our busy life.  I like that expression because one really has to make a effort to “make room for God.”  It will not happen automatically.

And speak about your life, your emotions or moods and what sets them off.  It is not a boring exercise and it is a place to unload your burdens, get a glimpse into the life of Christ, and also your own life.  I used to use a small book called Praying Your Experiences, how wonderful is that little book for practical advice.   Praying probably the most important thing we can do to bridge the gap between what we believe and how we live our life.  When you set aside time for this it is life changing!

Timothy was a disciple of St. Paul and at one point in his life he wanted to go home; he wanted to give up; he had it and was crying.  Timothy was timid by nature and we do not know much about his difficulties but we do know that Paul sent him a letter and encouraged him.  Paul reminded Timothy that he was called for a purpose and not because of his works.  He told him to bear his hardships for the sake of the gospel, counting on the strength that comes from God, not from him (2 Timothy 1: 8-10).

It gives me courage to know that this great disciple of Paul was also afraid, as the apostles were in the gospel, but he persevered and is a great saint.  Don’t give up, brothers and sisters.  The world is very strong today and there will be many setbacks, but God calls you to a holy life.  Lean on Him, not on yourselves, and pray, set an appointment with him and keep it this week.  He will bless you as he did to Abraham many times over.

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