Down & Dirty

Picture courtesy of Dreamstime

In today's Homily, the Deacon said some things that confirmed something that I read: God gives us struggles so we will turn to him. We have to die in order to spiritually grow closer to God. He didn't say that exact thing, but that was what I took from it.

Getting "Down & Dirty"

He began by talking about having a perfect grain of wheat. Some people would polish it and put it in a glass case, hidden from view to protect it. I totally get that...it's the same way with faith. Yes, it should be polished, but put in a glass case hidden from view? No. Jesus calls us to take our faith, polish it, but then share it with others. We shouldn't take our faith and hide it. He calls us to evangelize and share.
Just like the grain of wheat has to fall to the ground and get dirty, so we have to take our faith and "get down and dirty" with it.  He suggests taking our Lenten practices and continuing it after Easter as a way to "get dirty". We have to die to ourselves so that we can grow into something new & different.

Called to Him Through Struggles

I have 3 adult sons with adult challenges. One of them is going through some especially difficult challenges; it seems like he just can't catch a break. Every time things seem to be turning for the better, something else happens.  As a mom, it's heartbreaking to know I have no control over it and I can't fix it for him.  I read somewhere (I can't find it now...it may have been in Matthew Kelly's book Perfectly Yourself) that God will call you through your struggles. Will it fix everything? No. But it will give you the patience and will give you joy as you're going through it. It will definitely take some of the sting out of things happening. It is through these struggles that God will create a clean heart in us.

A Wonderful Harvest in the Making

He is constantly calling us back to Him; I think He is practically begging. What will it take before some will hear His call and will return to His fold? I am constantly praying for the intercession of St. Anne & St. Monica, but I have to also remember to ask Jesus to allow me to truly trust in Him. Your will, not mine.  I have to ask to be able to accept His will, whatever it may be. I have taken that perfect grain of wheat off the shelf and out of the glass case and put in full view. It still needs a lot of polishing, but I'm working on sharing it. I'm getting down and dirty with it. I pray that it takes hold and produces a wonderful harvest!