God’s Grace
By Iesu David
How many times have I heard great advice from a talk
at a retreat; or an inspiration from God at Mass to change something within my
life; and only to remain the same? I
have in my many years attended many retreats and countless Masses; and got
filled with inspiration from our Lord to start something new. And I would start
only to give up on it after a while.
I
met a man at a retreat a few years ago. He attended Mass every day, visited the
adoration chapel daily, and talked about the faith with so much joy and
conviction. He related to me how much he was blessed to be married for over forty
years, had three sons, and many grandchildren. He was involved in his parish as
a lector and in the Parish Council. He really impressed me and I felt inspired
by him to start going to Mass everyday myself. Later, I found myself getting
lazy with my commitment to go to Mass every day – and one day I stopped going.
I only attended Mass when I was obligated to do so.
Then
I came to realize that the main reason for my failure is not always allowing
God’s grace to penetrate my heart. I failed to realize that I was being called
by God to fall in love. When I am inspired to do something new or change
something in my life – that is what God is calling me to do – to fall more in love
with him.
But in order to allow that grace to penetrate
my heart - I need to ask God to help me. When I made the commitment to go to
Mass every day – I failed to keep the love that God gave me alive within me.
So
what is God asking me to do today? Is he asking me to have more patience with a
co-worker? Or is he asking me to use my time wisely? Everyday God is giving me
the grace to accomplish anything.
St. Francis de Sales once wrote: “We
receive the grace of God in vain when we receive it at the gate of our heart,
without allowing it to enter: we receive it without receiving it: we receive it
without fruit, since there is no use in feeling the inspiration if one does not
consent unto it. And just as the sick man who has the medicine in his hands, if
he takes only part of it, will only partially benefit from it, so too, when God
sends a great and mighty inspiration to move us to embrace his love, if we do
not avail of it in its entirety, we shall benefit from it only partially.”
God, whatever it is you wish of me and
whatever grace you wish to give me; help me to do your will and to allow that
grace to completely penetrate my heart. I open my heart to you. I give to you
my whole life. I surrender. Amen.