Spirituality for Beginners

Fr. Bede's almost-daily reflections. When it comes to the spiritual life, we're all beginners. I also send these out by email. Contact me at bcamera@anselm.edu. God bless!





Wednesday, November 16, 2016

We are more than we think we are

We are made in God’s image. (Genesis 1.27)
But what does that mean? Can we fully understand it? I don’t think we can, because we can’t fully understand God. If we are made in his image, then there is a part of ourselves far beyond what we can grasp: something so much greater, and magnificent, and mind-blowing, and, let’s not forget:  immortal.

Practical application: Although we need to aware of and accept our limitations and weaknesses, we don’t ever to be discouraged: our destiny will take us far beyond our limitations, and our weaknesses, and our failures, and our sins. Too good to be true? Well, we don’t even have to understand how this is meant to happen. That is God’s work. That is the work of God’s grace--over the course of our lifetimes and even beyond.

Listen to Saint John:  “Beloved, we are God’s children now; it does not yet appear what we shall be, but we know that when [the Savior] appears, we shall be like him.” (1 John 3.2)

And here is what Pope Francis has said about the matter, and I think, gets to the heart of what I’ve been trying to say:

“Thanks solely to this encounter—or renewed encounter—with God’s love, . . . we become fully human when we become more than human, when we let God bring us beyond ourselves in order to attain the fullest truth of our being.”  (“The joy of the Gospel,” paragraph 8)

United with God’s love, we become more than ourselves. Perhaps you’ve had a small taste of this reality even for the briefest of moments. Become aware of it. It will become more evident in your life if you continue to live reflectively.

God bless you!





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