Maintain!

Build yourselves up in your most holy faith; pray in the Holy Spirit. Keep yourselves in the love of God and wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life. (Jude 17: 21)

As we enter this “Ordinary Time” of mission and work, we must prepare ourselves to be willing to keep preparing. To build the faith within each of us, so that The Faith can be built in our world, calls for a life of prayer, patience and persistence!

Prayer: It only takes a moment to recognize that we’re not alone, and that the Lord is with us, listening and responding to us in real time. Acknowledge Him and His presence in your life. Take time to communicate with the God who loves you! Formality has its place, and there are times when formal prayer may be necessary, but on average, a morning hello, or a recognition that those times when we “talk to ourselves” is actually the ongoing conversation with the Almighty. We are people who need to be heard (that’s the whole point of this Blog thing in society don’t ya’ think?); and we have a God who needs the same. So pray!

Patience: The solution is not always immediate. The reward is not always evident. The outcome is rarely known. “Love is patient” (1 Cor. 13), and so are we. If we’re gonna get anywhere in this life, then we need to remember that good things come to those who can wait for them. Its never been about “what you get” out of life; its about getting there, and the stuff we learn on “The Way”. So be patient!

Persistence: Actually, I just needed another “P-Word” to make this blog entry complete. Its that “three” thing. I guess the Trinity has a grip on me! So, since we’re here, living a life of prayer and patience, then we should be persistent as to what we want to see happen. If we’re about building a Church on Earth, then we must see it through! If we’re about raising a family, then we know its never perfect, and we live through the highs and the lows together! The “Parable of the Persistent Widow” offers a great example of how we need to approach this building of The Faith in the world:

Then he told them a parable about the necessity for them to pray always without becoming weary. He said, "There was a judge in a certain town who neither feared God nor respected any human being. And a widow in that town used to come to him and say, 'Render a just decision for me against my adversary.' For a long time the judge was unwilling, but eventually he thought, 'While it is true that I neither fear God nor respect any human being, because this widow keeps bothering me I shall deliver a just decision for her lest she finally come and strike me.'" The Lord said, "Pay attention to what the dishonest judge says. Will not God then secure the rights of his chosen ones who call out to him day and night? Will he be slow to answer them? I tell you, he will see to it that justice is done for them speedily. But when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?" (Luke 18: 1-8)

So, pray, have patience and be persistent; and maintain your composure, for we have a Church to build!