Daily Reflections - March 8,2013

SEEKING OUR TREASURES

 

We all become vulnerable to the people and things we love. Sometimes we even do crazy things in order to pursue them. It is here that we need to be careful. It can be quite easy to make decisions that we will later regret if we do not manage our desires well. St. Paul tells us that our greatest treasure is our knowledge and experience of the Gospel. Our greatest treasure is our relationship with Christ and we need to make decisions that reflect this truth. Sometimes, it can take quite a bit of reflection and thought to order our desires well. The many pressures of the world and all the other influences we experience from friends and society can make it quite easy for us to succumb to our desires if we do not keep them in check. This is where prayer comes in!

Prayer is at the heart of our relationship with Jesus. Ceasing to pray will do to our relationship with Jesus what a silent heart does to a body — it kills it! Our relationship with Christ is a living reality that requires regular time and effort, just like any other relationship we have. A good dog owner will find time to walk or exercise his dog every day; a good disciple of Jesus will find time to pray and listen to the Word of God daily. It is a very simple formula but one that people seem to find difficult to keep.

I am reminded of all the treasure hunters in the books of my childhood. There was one thing they all had in common — they never gave up. They were persistent in trying to attain their goal — finding the treasure. This is the way we have to be in our relationship with Jesus — never giving up, always persevering even during difficult times.

A day away from prayer is one step away from God. Two days away from prayer and very quickly our relationship with God gets crowded out of our lives. Let us never allow this to happen to us. Fr. Steve Tynan, MGL

 

 

 REFLECTION QUESTIONS: How easily do you let go of praying every day? Do you need to recommit yourself to daily prayer, even if it is only a short prayer time?

 

Holy Spirit, help me realize the importance of prayer for my life so that I will give it the necessary priority among all the things I have to do every day.