Monday March 12, 2007

Monday of the Third Week of Lent

March 12, 2007

“A thirst is my soul for God, the living God.”

Psalm 42:3

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Fr. John on the Radio- Fr. John will be giving a daily Lenten Reflection on KBVM 88.3 FM at 9 AM and 1 PM each day during Lent until Easter. Tune in if you wish.



No other world religion professes what Catholics and Christians believe. Until Christianity, never was it known that God would become one of us. He would strip himself of the heavenly glory and become human like you and me in the incarnation. In this unprecedented happening, he who often seemed in such a distant place came near to us as possible. Further, he did not come near to us to punish us but that we might be saved in Jesus. He loves sinners and loves spending time with us, healing us with his saving presence. No God, past or present, has drawn so close and loved and forgiven us unconditionally. This, my bothers and sisters, is the Good News! Jesus becomes one of us that we might live forever.



One time I gave a homily on weddings. I started it our by asking couples who had been married five years or less how many hours they had spent putting into the “Wedding Day.” I got answers from fifty hours to over one-hundred hours. The point I was making was that the wedding is just one day while there are thousands of days that we should put our whole hearts and souls into. It is fine to plan and have a beautiful wedding day but much more important than the exterior beauty of the day is the relationship that the spouses will have with God and each other. I pondered if we put as much time into that as we did for the “Wedding Day” how things might be different. I was talking to a newlywed after my first mass of preaching this on Saturday night and her response was, “Of course I am going to put all this time into my “Wedding Day” because it is the most important day in my life.”



I disagree. The most important day in your life is when you meet Jesus. When you really meet Our Sovereign Lord and Savior is when you have the most important day in your life. Knowing Jesus, the Living God, is knowing eternal life. Again, culture is telling us lies. Through the culture many people buy the belief that the “Wedding Day" is the most important day in your life. The church and the bible, however, proclaim that the most important thing is knowing Christ.



Saul, a football player at a major university, was feeling really down. He broke his leg and was out for the season. He lived to play football and what he lived for was being taken away. He also had a troubled family life. He decided to give Jesus a try. One night in his dorm room he kneeled down by his bed and asked Jesus into his life. In powerful waves of love, Saul experienced Christ. That was the most important day of his life.



Have you had the most important day in you life? If not, you want to get there. If so, maybe you could share this with others who haven’t had the most important day of their life. Whether this is for you or other people please pray the following prayer. If you believe and keep asking, your life will be changed forever. You can pray to Jesus anytime and anywhere to invite him fully into your life.



“Lord Jesus, I have searched for love and hope in so many other places and the search has left me empty-handed. Now I turn to you and ask you to come into my heart and fill me with your love. Please forgive me for my sins and let me know your goodness forever. Thank you Lord Jesus that you are so near to me to save me. I love you and bless you and praise you this day and always. Amen.”



Live the confronted life!

+Fr. John