According to a Pew Research Study published in December of 2023 56% of “Spiritual but not Religious” people “feel a deep sense about the universe monthly.” And I would bet that this past week that jumped up greatly.
In summary, the world does not need more consumers, but it is desperate for people willing to do the hard work of building. May our students go into the world and create. Create communities where isolation once reigned, create beauty in places that have forgotten it, and create cultures of truth where confusion has taken hold.
I have a passion to reclaim the mind for Christ, but also to help others reclaim their families for Christ. Teaching is one of my gifts and roles as a priest. My passion to have a healthy parish is a chief part of my deepest passions. Relationships between Christians and a family dynamic in the Church is really important to me.
The fact that this idea is not rejected at first glance shows the deep unhealthiness of the Church here in the United States (and perhaps elsewhere). What is the point of Ash Wednesday? If the point is to merely give a passing thought to repentance and penitence and go about your usual life you are doing exactly what the Lord Jesus forbids in the appointed Gospel for the day!
When we fail to order our time with a rule not only do we cut ourself off from God, but we cut ourselves off from how God would use each other to help us see our giftings. We can’t identify our gifts if we take no time to be taught what they are. Consequently, we cannot recognize God’s gifts in ourselves or in others and we are stifled. That is not God’s plan.
Even if we could get the balance of life correct, sin gets involved in our desires and expectations. Where do we see God’s grace not just forgiving us our sins but also transforming us in these relationships? Where does the community of Christ fit into the discussion? How can evaluating our relationships help us in asking God to increase his grace so that we can grow in virtue?
