That divine spark is FROM God. It's created in us to propel us towards him with increasing joy and confidence, illuminating our consciences little by little and bringing us to true repentance until at last we experience pure faith and eventually union with God.
This is the goal, the "end all, be all" of our salvation. We are not called to simply "have a relationship" with God. We are called to perfection, we are called to union... we are called to be saints. The goal of religion is the establishment of peace: peace between God and man and peace between man and neighbor.
For most of us, this begins with an earnest attempt to "participate" in Church more. There are prayer meetings to attend and worship services to go to and personal practices to engage in at home.
Some of us have this desire because we are depressed or have hit the proverbial "rock bottom." Others because, conversely, we have hit the "highest" point in our lives and STILL recognize that something is missing. And others still, because we have seen or experienced some event, often supernatural, that has changed our world view.
I distinctly remember in my own life, once that spark of recognition had been ignited that God was "REAL," having a huge desire to do something about it. I began two practices which have since changed my life: prayer and bible study. I did other things, of course, things like pulling out an old rosary I had been given and carrying it around... but these things did not contribute to the life of grace. They were superstitions.
The TRUE spiritual life is based on a handful of "things we do" which are actually a response to God's grace.
A Marian Apparition, which has not been approved by the Church yet at this time, at Medjugorje, refers to these as the "5 Stones" we can use, like the rocks in David's pouch, with which to hit our giants square in the head.
They are:
- Daily Prayer (Especially of the Rosary)
- Fasting
- Daily Reading of the Bible
- Monthly Confession
- Holy Communion
When I began to pray, I began to communicate with God. To build a relationship with him and to learn to hear Him and in some way, share my life with Him. There are many ways to pray, but none more simple and yet profound enough to change hearts and move mountains than the Holy Rosary, in which meditation on the life of Christ is combined with vocal prayer. If you want to "go deeper," and find peace... there is no greater place to begin than to truly meditate on the events of the life of the One who IS peace. If you want to pray, begin with the rosary, both alone and with others, and you will be amazed at the depth of the relationship with God you begin to build and the peace you begin to experience with others when you realize that only by having recourse to the Holy Spirit can they be saved from sin.
Fasting is an imposed penance. We do penance because we have sinned, and because others have sinned. We do penance because we recognize how much harm has been done in the right relationship with God our world must have in order not just to survive but to thrive. Fasting-- the abstention from food-- is certainly an excellent way to bring the body into subjection. But we can also fast from other things... television, alcohol, or a particular activity we enjoy a little too much...When we fast and do penance, it shows that we "mean business" and has a purifying effect. God's grace is able to work on the soul which is pliable, willing to change, and experiencing true contrition (sorrow) for our sins.
Bible reading is a systematic listening to the Word of God. The Bible contains the very words of our faith...the inspired Word of God to mankind. Because bible study can be confusing to the inexperienced reader, I recommend the following: Begin with the Book of John, and work your way through the New Testament up until Revelation, then back around to Genesis all the way up to John again, reading Revelation last. This will form a foundation and give you some deeper context for when you read the more difficult passages (Leviticus, Ezekiel, etc) To help you to understand, I highly recommend a copy of Scott Hahn's Catholic Bible Dictionary, which explains all of the people, places and events you will encounter in Scripture very well. We should always pray before we begin reading the Bible and after, as we finish, asking the HOLY Spirit to give us a lively faith and a spirit of understanding as we read. The Church has written many, many aids and encylicals to help us "hear" the Word of God. Read them, and make a special effort to read the Catechism, which is a wonderful biblical aid.
Confession. In the economy of grace, God grants us grace in proportion to our responding to its availablity. Confession is the place where heaven meets earth. In confession, we acknowledge our wrongs and experience healing which lasts. There is a movie in my blog sidebar which depicts the proper way to go to confession for those for whom it has been a while. So many people are afraid of Confession. They believe that it is OK to simply "say" they are sorry to God in their hearts. The reality is that it is only in confession that we can take the action required by God that shows that we really BELIEVE, really experience contrition. Further, it is only in confession that we can experience lasting healing and lasting conversion and LASTING deliverance from evil. Who doesn't want that? Also, by following the directions of our confessors, we will experience progress, some of us for the first time, in our spiritual lives. This is so encouraging, as it builds our faith in the reality of God.
Holy Communion. There are no words to describe to you adequately why receiving the Bread of Angels is a lifegiving practice which ensures spiritual progress. First, because of the sheer grace available to us not only from receiving but also from contemplating the lessons available to us from the doctrine of the Holy Eucharist. Second, because the "legal" reception of the Eucharist requires you to do things which again, give your soul great benefit.... you will have been baptized, gone to confession, and striven to live without sinning. You will have become a member of the Church, Christ's mystical body. You will have also meditated on and become aware of the presence of Jesus in the Holy Eucharist... His REAL presence therein, that in the wafer and the wine are actually His whole person: His body, blood, soul and divinity. You will have understood that when you receive Holy Communion you are receiving the LORD into yourself for the salvation of your soul, and this very action is the "source and summit" of the life of mankind. This is a real altar call, the original altar call. If you are not able to recieve communion because you have not met the requirements explained by the Church and set forth in scripture (check with your priest at confession), what better way to stir up in yourself a desire and hunger for Jesus than to frequently attend Holy Mass and/or Adoration? There is a mass in your local Catholic parish daily.... and attending it prayerfully will help you to place this last "stone" in your arsenal against a life devoid of meaning.
Begin by incorporating these "five stones" into your daily life, and see what progress you will make. The riches of God are truly limitless, and the journey.... profound. There is no more life-changing decision than to draw nearer to God, for as the scriptures say: "Draw close to God, and He will draw close to you." (James 4:8)
What a wonderful post! Thank you!!
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