One Little Bit at a Time

Please read John 12:1-11 and Mark 14:1-15:47 before continuing in reading this post.

In my prayer this morning, after hearing these two Gospel readings over the past two days I found myself asking a few questions. Will we be greedy, as Judas was? Will we deny Jesus as Peter did? Are we really willing to lay down our lives for Christ?

My honest answers: I have been greedy as Judas was. I have denied Jesus as Peter did. Am I ready to lay down my life? far from it; however, I'm going to do all I can to lay it down anyway.

I have set Jesus aside in order to be part of a group, in order to fit, in order to fulfill an expectation. I've allowed things of this world to consume me. I've set aside that which keeps me alive, in order to be liked and wanted.

Living our faith in this world is challenging, especially in college. It's a daily fight to choose to live for Christ. It's a daily challenge to get up a little early to be able to have time to pray, to start the day with Christ. It takes a conscious effort to pray, especially when we don't feel like it. I could take a nap instead, or I could have slept in this morning. Instead I got up at 5:30 to pray with my sisters, to start my day and my week with Christ. I came back to have personal prayer time, when I could have just gone back to bed. But I made the effort to seek to deepen my relationship with Christ.

There have been days where I didn't get up to pray. There have been days where I went back to bed. There have been days where I rejected God. It's easy to do. The hard part is giving our lives to Christ, one little bit at a time. Luckily, we have a gracious, patient, generous, merciful God.

Brothers and sisters, I know how challenging living our faith out can be. I'm there right now. The past two weeks, remaining faithful has been a challenge for me. My prayer has been almost non-existent, my relationship with God dwindled, and was set aside...for ? well I don't know what -- I suppose the busy-ness of the world, of life.
Last week, a friend of mine gave a talk on the crucifixion. I took something from that talk that I wish to share with you now --
                 
Jesus filled the void between man and God; therefore, rejoice in the crucifixion. There was a void, an emptiness between man and God and Jesus came to fill that void. Jesus came to save, not to condemn. Because of this, we should rejoice in the crucifixion. 


To adore God is to acknowledge, in respect and absolute submission, the "nothingness of the creature" who would not exist but for God. To adore God is to praise and exalt him and to humble oneself, as Mary did in the Magnificat, confessing with gratitude that he has done great things and holy is his name.¹⁴ The worship of the one God sets man free from turning in on himself, from the slavery of sin and the idolatry of the world. CCC#2097


As I said, it is challenging to live counter-cultural, to live a consecrated life (to be consecrated means to be set apart); therefore, we should rejoice in the death of Jesus and find strength and hope in that God sent his only Son in order to be able to draw us to himself.

I want to leave you with this quote:
Whenever anything disagreeable or displeasing happens to you remember Christ crucified and be silent. 


-St. John of the Cross