“The
life of a Christian is nothing but a perpetual struggle against self; there is
no flowering of the soul to the beauty of its perfection except at the price of
pain.” St.
Padre Pio, 19th century saint
“I
will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the
heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.” Ezekiel 36:26
The
Lord willing, nothing will ever be fully settled until we are gone from this
earth. This is to say, it is a dangerous time for Christians who come to
believe there is nothing more to know, nothing more to gain, nothing more to
grow from. This is the time when we believe ourselves to be equal with
The Lord, and we stop listening. The danger in such a state of mind is
that we are more inclined to pronounce judgment than to offer mercy.
The
Lord promises His people that He will do a great work in those who are willing
to be worked on and worked through, but this is the key: our willingness to be
continually formed and shaped and molded, our willingness to give freely to the
Church of ourselves, our talents, our prayers, and our treasures to ensure that
the Gospel is perpetually proclaimed. That we don’t “have to” (as in
trying to ‘earn’ mercy) is not nearly to the point; that we are so willing is
only the beginning of what the “heart of flesh” can produce – while the “heart
of stone” is already set and the mind closed.
Let
us break free from that cast and stone-cold heart and learn to take The Lord at
His Word; that His gifts are freely given each day we are willing to
receive. Nothing is settled for us even though The Lord has done His
great thing in “tearing open the veil”. You and I, however, must be
willing to go in.
Blessings,
Michael
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