The month of June this year in Catholic worship brings us back to the period called "the Ordinary time of the Year". In reality there is hardly any "ordinary time" in Christian life. Every day, hour and minute of the life of a Christian is a special gift from God and is sustained by his grace. Grace! That is the miraculous word for the presence of God in the successful unfolding of the days of our lives. If we consider that each day is an opportunity to encounter God and work with His grace much will change in us. In fact, we could all like Mary, mother of Jesus, be addressed "full of grace".
Who among us has not had moments which when we look back make us say, like the psalmist: "Had God not been on our side". The conduct of all human life is largely dictate in reality by our awareness or ignorance of the reality of grace. Those who understand the role of grace in life have a deep sense of gratitude to God for everything, no matter how hard they have worked.
They always thus feel they owe something to the Giver of all good things. Mary, mother of Jesus made a substantial self-sacrifice by saying "yes" to God. Nonetheless at the end of her encounter with God she composed the Magnificat in praise, not of her own achievement, but of God's goodness.
People who, on the other hand, are ignorant of grace or who undermine its role have a diminished sense of gratitude and an exaggerated sense of self-accomplishment. They may deny it but they do betray the conviction that God, and the world, owe them much. Even their attitude to prayer and other activities of life are affected. Such hearts can hardly accommodate God. Dwight L. Moody in a bout of wit once said: "God has two thrones, one in the highest heavens, the other in the lowliest heart" He only confirmed the words of the psalmist about God: "a humbled contrite heart, oh Lord you will not spurn" (Ps. 51)
Remember the parable of Jesus' which reveals that "grace effect" about two men who went into the Temple to pray. The one, a Pharisee, prayed, telling God all the good he had done to "bribe" God into regarding him favourably. The other, a Tax-collector on the other hand, stood afar off. He prayed by telling God, "be merciful to me, a sinner". He obviously knew that he had enjoyed much of God's grace and knew he owed God gratitude and allegiance. The Scriptures tell us the latter went home justified rather than the former, "for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted" (Lk. 18: 9-14). Christ told the parable to instruct people who trust in themselves that they are righteous and despise others.
Even today he teaches us to renounce the right to boast about anything for each moment of our lives is ruled by God's grace. With his Holy Spirit we can be a lot humbler.
I have been thinking a great deal about my experience at Reconciliation this past Saturday. I felt an intense and unexplainable urge to go and confess my sins when I woke up that morning. I try to go every six weeks or so, but this was no routine visit to the priest for me. I needed to unburden myself of the numerous venial sins I had committed since I last participated in this Sacrament.
Purest Gold: God's Refining Fire in our Lives »
After salvation, many young Christians wonder if there's anything more to their newfound faith than just the security blanket of "being a Christian." Time and time again, God shows himself as a "refiner," and our lives are as gold. God started leading me in this study to understand what He was doing in my life, as well as in the lives of others.
Picking up my pen to write this column, I couldn’t imagine how time flies. Since the last publication of this column I have gone through a lot, especially the loss of my dear mother to whom I dedicate this article. Not only her, but seems I lost a whole generation of my close family.
How to Achieve Business Excellence »
“Do you see a man who excels in his work? He will stand before Kings; He will not stand before unknown men.” Proverbs 22:29
Spiritual Development for our Youth »
Most of us youth in today's fast moving world are easily thrown off by difficulties and worries.
The theme of conversion is a thread that runs all through Lent, but conversion takes on different aspects throughout the phases of Lent. The first two and a half weeks focused on the interior turning of hearts; the liturgy urges the faithful to reflect and examine consciences thoroughly.
Saint Josephine Bakhita »
Feast Day: February 8
Patron Saint Of: Sudan
Saint Josephine Margaret Bakhita was born around 1869 in the village of Olgossa in the Darfur region of Sudan. She was a member of the Daju people and her uncle was a tribal chief. Due to her family lineage, she grew up happy and relatively prosperous, saying that as a child, she did not know suffering.
Catholics Must Fast More Intensely This Lent»
The Norbertine Canons of St. Michael's Abbey have created this digital Lenten retreat so that you can journey through this holy season alongside them. If you want to have one of your best Lenten seasons yet, join us in our Lenten Program "The Great Fast" - https://theabbotscircle.com/the-great-fast-join
When Your Faith Is Put to the Test - Bishop Barron's Sunday Sermon»
Friends, we come now to the Second Sunday of Lent, and we’re on both dangerous and very holy ground with the first reading from the twenty-second chapter of Genesis. The ancient Israelites referred to it as the “Akedah,” which means the “binding”: Abraham binds and is ready to sacrifice Isaac at God’s command.
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