Perseverence

Ahh - the college life. Monday - class 11-2, dinner & formation 6, 12 bed. Tuesday - class 8am - 12, work 3, 11 bed. Wednesday - class 11-2. Thursday - class 8am - 12, 2-4, Community worship (One Gospel/Women's night) at 12 bed. Friday - class 11-2, work at 3, 1 am bed. Saturday - homework. Sunday - mass, homework.

Essentially, this is the life of a college student. Class, work, homework, sleep, eat. What's missing, may I ask you?
 family time? yes.
 friend time? yes.
...but that's not what I'm getting at.

prayer, personal quiet time, set aside to build a relationship with our everlasting God.

Dear brothers and sisters,

I tell you now, it is hard to live the Catholic faith to the fullest in this time in our lives.

Tonight, I was with some wonderful brothers and sisters, worshiping our Lord. During this time, the Lord revealed to me the need to persevere. Some days it's really easy to pray. We feel like praying. We have time to pray. Other days - we're exhausted, we're coughing (fighting a cold), have a paper to write, books to read, and really just don't feel like praying or feel like we have the time. Often times, on the days when I don't feel like praying, I don't pray. I'll pray 2 or 3 days in a row - and then just don't feel like praying anymore - so today I want to encourage you to persevere in running the race, persevere in seeking our Lord face to face, persevere through the trials of life.  As I was praying tonight, this scripture came to me and I would like to share it with you:

1 Corinthians 9:19-27

Although I am free in regard to all, I have made myself a slave to all so as to win over as many as possible
To the Jews I became like a Jew to win over Jews; to those under the law I became like one under the law—though I myself am not under the law—to win over those under the law.
To those outside the law I became like one outside the law—though I am not outside God’s law but within the law of Christ—to win over those outside the law.
To the weak I became weak, to win over the weak. I have become all things to all, to save at least some
All this I do for the sake of the gospel, so that I too may have a share in it.
Do you not know that the runners in the stadium all run in the race, but only one wins the prize? Run so as to win
Every athlete exercises discipline in every way. They do it to win a perishable crown, but we an imperishable one.
Thus I do not run aimlessly; I do not fight as if I were shadowboxing.
No, I drive my body and train it, for fear that, after having preached to others, I myself should be disqualified



My dear friends, we are told in this message from St. Paul that we are all to be for each others' salvation, while seeking to better ourselves. All that we do needs to be to glorify our Lord & our God.  We are not to run aimlessly, but to run to reach the Kingdom of God. We train and discipline ourselves so as to live for our God, to serve him - and most of all to love. 


Persevere in love. 


God bless.