For me to live is Christ...St. Paul
Fr. Robert Barron's incredible DVD, "Untold Blessing" ( www.wordonfire.org), is an eye opening introduction to what it means to become a friend of God. He talks about the paths to Sainthood. One of the most radical and beautiful statements he makes is this, "Your life is not about you. Yes, it is your life, but it's not about you." He goes on to cogently show that this is the mind of Paul, and how this thinking flies in the face of our culture which screams to us daily, 'It's your life, grab all you can, it's all about you.' Somehow, when we realize that our life is not about us, it fills us with a tangible sense of liberty and detachment. It frees us to focus on the mind of Christ in our daily situations and not the mind of CNN, FOX, or Oprah. We are in a battle and the battle is for our souls. Jesus asked the question, "What does it profit a man to gain the whole world and lose his soul?" We must guard daily against the temptation to make our lives about ourselves. This is hard, we need help. Jesus knew how hard this would be for us. This is why He gave us His Church through the sending of His Spirit. This is why He gave us the Sacraments administered by the Apostles and those who have followed them through the laying on of hands. We cannot do this alone. We need His Body and His Blood, we need His forgiveness, we need His Real Presence, we need the Mass. Paul warned against failing to meet together and going it alone, how these people shipwreck their faith. We need one another in this journey. St. Paul said for him "to live is Christ...", he was truly a friend of God. His life was not about himself, how joyous and alive he truly was!
wkm
Fr. Robert Barron's incredible DVD, "Untold Blessing" ( www.wordonfire.org), is an eye opening introduction to what it means to become a friend of God. He talks about the paths to Sainthood. One of the most radical and beautiful statements he makes is this, "Your life is not about you. Yes, it is your life, but it's not about you." He goes on to cogently show that this is the mind of Paul, and how this thinking flies in the face of our culture which screams to us daily, 'It's your life, grab all you can, it's all about you.' Somehow, when we realize that our life is not about us, it fills us with a tangible sense of liberty and detachment. It frees us to focus on the mind of Christ in our daily situations and not the mind of CNN, FOX, or Oprah. We are in a battle and the battle is for our souls. Jesus asked the question, "What does it profit a man to gain the whole world and lose his soul?" We must guard daily against the temptation to make our lives about ourselves. This is hard, we need help. Jesus knew how hard this would be for us. This is why He gave us His Church through the sending of His Spirit. This is why He gave us the Sacraments administered by the Apostles and those who have followed them through the laying on of hands. We cannot do this alone. We need His Body and His Blood, we need His forgiveness, we need His Real Presence, we need the Mass. Paul warned against failing to meet together and going it alone, how these people shipwreck their faith. We need one another in this journey. St. Paul said for him "to live is Christ...", he was truly a friend of God. His life was not about himself, how joyous and alive he truly was!
wkm
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