Thursday, March 20, 2014

Becoming an 'ant of God' By: C.C.

"Emulate the tiny ant; be an ant of God . Listen to the word of God and hide it in your heart. Collect plenty of food during the happy days of your spiritual summers. You will then be able to endure the difficult days of temptations during the winters of your soul." (St. Augustine) 
   The spiritual life is one of patient enduring and steadfast hope in God. It is not an easy journey and for this we are to be grateful. As we continue this Lenten season and meditate further upon the Lord's sacrifice for us, we come to find comfort in the 'winters of our soul' as a means of uniting with our Lord's suffering and ultimately a necessary experience if we long to share  in the joy of His resurrection
    The world challenges us with many contradictory messages and presents apparent 'remedies' for the difficulties that we may face in this life. These false remedies are not solutions for healing, but rather they are prescriptions of disillusionment and numbness. They are an invitation to lose sight of true Goodness and further separate us from our Lord and His plans. Those striving toward living a life in Communion with the Church and the Lord must practice their faith with great fervor and seek to be 'an ant of God'
     To become an ant of God is to recognize our limitations and the tininess of our existence in the face of our Lord's majesty and greatness. We are called to store in our hearts the spiritual food that we gather from listening to the word of God and from our prayer life so that we can endure what comes with virtue. We are called to gather the fruit of this Lenten season and deepen our awareness of our Lord so that we may persevere in our spiritual life.
   'Emulating the tiny ant' is to be made great in our Lord; and by His love we can endure all things. We are provided with true food that sustains our soul and provides a remedy for all ill. The witness of great faith and reliance on our Lord allows for many souls to see the grandeur of God and His works.Our life then serves as an invitation to others. Let us meditate upon the words of St. Augustine and  'collect plenty of food during the happy days of our spiritual summers'. May we persevere in the days of temptation and strive fervently for the Eternal feast and banquet of our Lord. (CC) 

No comments:

Post a Comment