As Catholics, we are granted the extraordinary privilege of being baptized into Christ soon after we set foot in this world. This wonderful Sacrament is offered to us as a beautiful invitation to begin our journey of life in Christ. We are called to live in Him, for Him and with Him as He lived and died for us. In short, we are called to live in perfect union with Him. We indeed set out joyfully with a desire to fulfil the mission of Christ. Sadly, this attempt of ours is thwarted by the enemy and temptation which is the raging beast gets the better of us. We find ourselves swayed by the temporal pleasures of life.
We drift away, fall into sin and suffer its painful consequences and bear the burden of guilt, therefore defeating the very purpose for which we were created. Yes, we suffer unwantedly when in fact ours should be the joy of suffering for Christ. Today, we need to take a pause and reflect on why we quite often end up doing anything but good work. The answer can be found in John 15:4 “Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me.” This verse is nothing less than an exhortation to a continued devotion to Him, which alone can lead us to Heaven.
Three important steps can help us reach this goal. Probably you know them, nevertheless, it’s worth reiterating. At the outset, what a believer should do is Pray, pray and pray… this is something every Christian should be doing habitually and without ceasing. Secondly reading the Word of God not merely to know His teachings but for its power to heal us, transform us and empower us to be aggressive against Satan. The third important course would be our frequent participation in the Holy Eucharist as our Lord said “Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day.” (John6:54). These are three essentials for anyone who wants to follow Christ and savour a complete sense of fulfilment. When we channel our efforts towards a godly living, what would follow is an outpouring of His grace. Stay in Christ and Stay happy!
