How We Change the World:Weekly Message for 10-17-17

Dear Fellow pilgrims in Christ,

This month we celebrate the feast days of three powerhouse saints. Even though they will be overlooked liturgically, with their feast days falling on a Sunday this year, they certainly don’t go unnoticed in the way they impacted the history of Christianity. St. Thérèse of Lisieux, St. Teresa of Avila, and St. John Paul II each made a difference in the way they changed the world.

And yet despite the influence of their holy lives we still encounter a world inundated with sin and injustice. The saints didn’t necessarily change that situation; they didn’t turn earth into heaven. Only God can do that. But they did change the world. They changed, affected, and made better the very world in which they lived in. They changed their own unique, personal world precisely amidst the reality in which God’s providence surrounded them. They changed their world with each humble acceptance
of God’s grace and mercy that transformed their own hearts and filled them with mercy to touch the lives of others. That is all God asked of them. He didn’t ask them to change the whole world, do all the good possible, or fix every problem but to simply be his messenger to all those they encountered. In being faithful to that call, the saints do not rid the world of evil, but they certainly make a difference that resounds for all eternity. The saints’ feast days we celebrate this month remind us of the call we
each have to do the same. We can alter eternity by being channels of God’s grace in our own unique part of the world; in our relationships, interactions, and spheres of influence. We can become saints living a life of holiness. According to Pope Benedict “Holiness does not consist in never having erred or sinned. Holiness increases the capacity for conversion, for repentance, for willingness to start again and, especially, for reconciliation and forgiveness.”

So how will we change the world? How will we change the world right where we are?

Let’s make sure to create space in our lives for the action of God to transform our lives and in turn touch those around us. To help that happen, you may be encouraged and discover new inspirations through one of our recent Retreat Guides; Love One Another: A Retreat Guide on the Little Way of St. Thérèse (Feast day October 1), and Be Not Afraid: A Retreat Guide on St. John Paul II (Feast day October 22).

Surrounded by many saintly reminders it is helpful, indeed, it is a grace of God to make this reflection and again give perspective to how we are living our lives. It demands of us a response. That we give the right response is part of the goal of RC Spirituality. Our Retreat Guides, Study Circle Guides, and Ask a Priest Q&A’s are all geared to helping souls make the most of the time God gives them on this earth. So if you know someone who needs help in his or her spiritual life, think about introducing them to RC Spirituality. Think of it as a early jump start to Advent and as a way to help a soul become a saint.

With the assurance of our prayers,
God bless
In Christ,
Lucy Honner
Director, RCSpirituality Center
lucy@rcspirituality.org