What is your personal encounter with God? We are in the season of lent. Are you going to let yourself be a mournful Catholic during this period? Many times, I have heard from fellow Catholics, “oh it is Lent, I am going to skip meat and alcohol. This is how I am going to sacrifice during this period.” As soon as Lent is over, they revert to excessive consumption. How is this a sacrifice or a turning point?
Are you able to be like Abraham and embrace the change for a promise that is granted to you from God? Abraham left everything he knew and went to another place that God would show him. God promised that Abraham would be a blessing to those with whom he met. Additionally, in his letter to the Romans, Paul encourages us to see that God blesses us as we work, and God’s transforming love creates and recreates us and makes possible what we think is impossible. However, we are unwilling to embrace what is possible for God, because we cling on to our limiting expectations of what God can do. We need to let go of things that bind us to worldly pleasure.
Chapter 17 of Mathew’s Gospel speaks about a juxtaposition of fear and faith. When Jesus took Peter, James and John up to a mountain, and before their very own eyes they saw his Essence. They saw his connection to the past, their present with him, and a vision of the future in store for them. They were stunned and didn’t know what to say.
Since our stay on earth is temporary and short, compared to eternity, our focus should be on preparing to live with God by practising his love.
By Adrian Rakesh