One Minute Meditations
You Can!When Our Lord called the first Apostles they were busy mending their broken nets by the side of an old boat. Our Lord told them to follow him and statim – immediately – they left everything – relictis omnibus – everything! And followed him.
Sometimes, though we wish to imitate them, we find we don't manage to leave everything, and there remains some attachment in our heart, something wrong in our life which we're not willing to break with and offer it up to God.
Won't you examine your heart in depth? Nothing should remain there except what is his. If not, we aren't really loving him, neither you nor I.
– St. Josemaria Escriva, The Forge, #356
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As we approach Christmas Day, the birth of our Savior, let us spend some time reflecting on this *important* meditation -- Jesus is calling each of us, just as he did these *imperfect* fishermen...will we love him enough to leave everything and follow him *completely* as the fishermen did?
May we all ask the Holy Spirit to open our eyes and our hearts to see any and all attachments that we have *not* been willing to break and may the Holy Spirit change our hearts to docile and radically changed hearts that will follow Jesus NO MATTER THE COST as the fishermen did...they left *everything* behind to completely follow Jesus.
What is in our lives that Jesus asks us to *leave* behind (things we do that should not be actions of a Christian, Matthew 4:19-20, 22). We should seek to be "He whose hands are sinless, whose heart is clean, who desires not what is vain."
What is in our lives that Jesus asks us to *change* (i.e., love those who persecute us, Romans 12:14).
The two great commandments that contain the whole law of God are:
1. Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with thy whole heart, and with thy whole soul, and with thy whole mind, and with thy whole strength;
2. Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.
As we approach Christmas, let us renew our commitment to follow our Lord and Savior Jesus with all that we are. Let us be *completely* transformed and give our *all* by living lives fully committed to pleasing Jesus Christ in all we think, do, and say...and trust that he knows we are imperfect but that we are honestly trying our very best to love & serve him in all we do.
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Oddly enough, just as I posted the above meditation, I read another (below). Although from a different perspective, I feel the advice is important. Let us be like the fishermen above, not the description below...whatever is in us from below, let us ask the Lord to change so we may better follow him.
One Minute Meditations
Other VirtuesI see you, christian gentleman – that is what you say you are – kissing an image, mumbling a vocal prayer, crying out against those who attack the Church of God..., and even frequenting the holy Sacraments.
But I don't see you making any sacrifice, or avoiding certain conversations of a 'worldly' nature (I could with justice use another term), or being generous towards those in need or towards that Church of Christ, or putting up with a failing in one of your brothers, or checking your pride for the sake of the common good, or getting rid of your tight cloak of selfishness, or... so many things more!
I see you... I don't see you... And yet you say that you are a christian gentleman? What a poor idea you have of Christ!
– St. Josemaria Escriva, The Way, #683
