Martha and Mary, The Better Part

Friends of Faith:

 I’ve been feeling a little disconnected from God and overwhelmed by busyness. And while I realize in today’s world with all the distractions it’s probably not uncommon, it’s still difficult to get back on track. 

Andy sent me his “bulletin insert” for next week (he recently transferred as associate pastor at Resurrection parish in Dubuque to Pastor at Nativity Parish in Dubuque) and it made me realize that no matter where we are in life sometimes we just need a boost – for me his article – which I sought his permission to share with all of you.

 “On Tuesday, one week after I had started as Pastor, I was walking into the church and I realized that besides the Masses I had celebrated and the time in the confessional, I really hadn’t spent much time praying in the main body of the church, hadn’t taken the time for a Holy Hour, etc.

 “It made me realize that I had spent my first week being much like Martha, busy with many things, and not much like Mary, prayerful and reflective at the feet of Jesus.  Naturally, that realization made me stop and reflect on the situation, wondering “Why does Mary have the better part?  There is so much to get done, all of the time...”

 “Mary has chosen the better part because there will always be things to do, but there will not always be this time, right now, to be with Jesus, to learn from Him, to grow to be holier, to move closer towards the Kingdom of God.  Mary experienced this in a very direct way, but we experience it too.

 “Every day we have that choice too, whether we will take time in prayer or if we will let our busyness take over.  Realistically, we have to get some work done, so we can’t be like Mary all of the time, but we should try to carve out some time.

 “How much time is enough?  Well, it varies from person to person, situation to situation, but I believe God asks us not just to tithe our money, but to tithe our whole lives.  So, just for the sake of easy math, if we are awake for 15 hours a day, it seems reasonable to take 10% of that or one and a half hours and spend it in prayer, which could be attending daily Mass, doing spiritual reading, praying devotions, or just praying from the heart.

 “Take some time to stop and reflect on your situation.  We need not bite off more than we can chew, but start gradually.  I didn’t stop to do a Holy Hour, I took fifteen minutes right then and twenty minutes later, but the realization of that need to spend time at the feet of Jesus is the first step towards a holier and more joy-filled life.”

So for all of you Martha’s, May you all take the time to find peace and joy and be a little more like Mary this week!

Blessings,

Charlotte

www.morningreflection.blogspot.com

Competing Well

Friends of Faith:

I have competed well; I have finished the race; I have kept the faith. 2 Tm 4: 7
I will start where I left off a week ago: “it must be okay, because everyone else is doing it.”

If I am obeying a law, because it is the law and everyone else is doing it, but not because it is right by God, then maybe the law is unjust. Maybe I am not competing as well as I should.

Or maybe I am looking at the wrong finish line—social status, the number of “friends” I have, wealth or even health...

Maybe the law is one I shouldn’t be obeying—maybe the law was made by man (myself, a friend or a politician) and not by God.

When I finish, will I be at the true finish line? Will I have kept true to the one God, the one faith?

The way to know whether the law is God’s or man’s is to pray, read scripture, and to ask for God’s will (to listen to and be aware of the Spirit of God within us), and then to seek the advice and guidance of the Church’s interpretation. How does the Church of God speak about the “law” in question?

For he is a God who always repays and will give back to you sevenfold.  But offer no bribes; these he does not accept! Do not trust in sacrifice of the fruits of extortion. For he is a God of justice, who shows no partiality.  He shows no partiality to the weak but hears the grievance of the oppressed. ....  Those who serve God to please him are accepted; their petition reaches the clouds. Sir 35: 13-16, 20

To compete well—but not to bribe or be part of the pity party:  don’t do just what is required (a job for pay), or serve on a committee because it is a part of the job (obligation), or obey just because the law/commandments say we should or shouldn’t (to avoid punishment).  Compete Well—Serve  instead because it is right to visit a shut-in you don’t know (someone besides your grandma)....the thankful smile and warm hug are a well won competition.

To finish the race—to be rewarded not because we did the right thing, but because we did the right thing  for the right reason. It is not about the “how” we did it, but the “why” we did it.

To keep the faith—to know Him, to love Him and to serve Him—because it is the right way, not because it is the way we will get what we want. To pray for God’s will and then to trust that God knows what is best for us—even if it means we will have to be patient,  do without, suffer, or give up what we have “earned.”

After all, everything we have is a blessing from him—nothing is really ours, he is not showing us partiality because we have “done” nothing extraordinary.

In yesterday’s gospel:  “Jesus addressed this parable to those who were convinced of their own righteousness and despised everyone else.  "Two people went up to the temple area to pray; one was a Pharisee and the other was a tax collector.  The Pharisee took up his position and spoke this prayer to himself, 'O God, I thank you that I am not like the rest of humanity -- greedy, dishonest, adulterous -- or even like this tax collector.  I fast twice a week, and I pay tithes on my whole income.’ But the tax collector stood off at a distance and would not even raise his eyes to heaven but beat his breast and prayed, 'O God, be merciful to me a sinner.' I tell you, the latter went home justified, not the former; for whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and the one who humbles himself will be exalted." Lk 18: 9-14

Is the competition to win justification here on earth (health or wealth or friendships), or is it to win justification in heaven?

Am I the Pharisee who thinks he is impressing God by doing better than everyone else? Or am I the tax collector willing to admit my wrongs, praying with my heart and soul to know God’s will, doing what he asks of me, and asking for God’s mercy and compassion when I fail?

Heavenly Father: You have promised to rescue me from every evil threat and to bring me safely to your heavenly kingdom. (2 Tm 4: 18) Help me to open my heart and listen to the Spirit within so that I may not “just” finish, but that I may compete wisely and keep the faith always. To Him be the glory, forever and ever, Amen.

I want my finish to be by thanking God for the blessings He pours out on me; offering Him any suffering with acceptance and true sacrifice; holding true to HIS truth even when it is unpopular with conventional wisdom; and unselfishly giving to the beggar, the “least,” the lonely and the broken hearted my earthly riches (time and talents).

Compete well, Finish strong, and Keep the faith,
Charlotte

We Can Become

Friends of Faith:

“Lord, may your kingdom come.”

We can always become more. We can always become greater. We can always become more knowledgeable by having a deeper understanding and fulfillment thru the Spirit of Christ.

Stan and I have become even more aware as we have talked to others about the opportunity of the Alexander House marriage retreat this weekend that regardless of where we are at or what we are doing in our lives we need encouragement, enrichment and enlightenment –to stay focused, to know our purpose and to not become complacent or think that we have it all figured out.

(You can still take advantage of this awesome opportunity to build, grow, strengthen and enrich your marriage by joining other Christian couples this weekend, Saturday, Sept 14 at St. Henry’s in Marshalltown from 9-4:30. Please register asap by going to www.enjoyyourmarriage-iowa.eventbrite.com or by replying to this email so that we can plan for materials, food and setup (and especially, if needed, childcare).

We can always become more, greater, more knowledgeable – the excuse, in this instance, “that my marriage is doing okay” (replace that with any of your responsibilities and/or jobs in life) –only works today, because tomorrow will certainly change the “okay” to something different – for better or for worse, depending on the choices we make—the choice to be okay with okay, to fall down, or to continue the quest to become better, as God calls us to be.

“It is he whom we proclaim, admonishing everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone perfect in Christ. For this I labor and struggle, in accord with the exercise of his power working within me.

…That their hearts may be encouraged as they are brought together in love, to have all the richness of assured understanding, for the knowledge of the mystery of God, Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” Col 1: 28-2: 3

God’s work here on earth is to give us the grace so that we can be presented perfect in Christ. He promises us we can become more! And because it is hidden in the treasures of the knowledge of the mystery of Christ we are called to a continuous quest and search for his wisdom.

So are we “satisfied?” Do we really just want to be “okay”at marriage, our job, as a part of any team, or in life in general?

Matthew Kelly says: “We are made for greatness but the world calls us to be average.”

Wouldn’t it be more fun to say: “I am great!” “We are great!” “My marriage is great!” “My job is great.” And “I am fulfilled by knowing God in those around me.”

Becoming great is a constant journey. A journey where we can’t be complacent or “okay” because “okay” is never great, it is just okay.

Just as is God always present and available to us, so the devil also seeks to become a greater part of our lives. If we in anyway take God out of the equation (by a lack of forgiveness, by judging another person’s intentions, by self reliance or self indulgence, or by worshiping and trusting false gods (money, entertainment, or secular media) then the “okay” will become sorrowful and regretful because we have let down our guard and the devil has inserted first his toe and then his entire self into our slightly open door.

But when we invite God IN, when we open our heart and open His door by seeking His truth, His aid and His mercy and understanding, his grace blocks the devil out and with His help, the “okay” turns to “GREAT!”

Heavenly Father, it is in You we become great. Thank you for your constant reminders that you are in charge and without you I would be nothing. Help me to give you control over my life. Strengthen all those who struggle to give their heart to you, to forgive as you teach, and to remain in your truth. Amen.

God asks us to become GREAT, to be perfect in Christ, like Him –to continually seek His truth, and to seek education which teaches His plan for us (as in the marriage retreat). We can never be perfect – but we can keep trying, we can keep working, we can become….

Better, greater, richer in Him.

In Christ,

Charlotte

www.morningreflection.blogspot.com

Humbly Accepted

Friends of Faith:

I am sometimes confused by what it means to be humble—does that mean that I am to always remember that I am a sinner and that I can do nothing right, or that nothing that I do is quite “right enough?” And does it really mean I have to give up everything or can I keep some of my “favorite things?”

Everything I have, even my most basic needs, are God given gifts. So, which parts of my life did God give me as a gift so that I could survive, and which parts did he give me so that I would be able to serve others? And why does sorting through that question seem so difficult?

Although I heard the same gospel readings multiple times this past weekend it struck me that each time the description of humility included the word “acceptance.”

Acceptance of my weaknesses and my faults but with a firm resolve to try to do better; acceptance of the “critical analysis” which friends give me to help make me better and an accepting attitude that it is my will, my resolve and my perseverance that will convert ME to be the daughter of God that God created me to be--in His image.

Everything I have is His and I could have done nothing that I have done without Him. It is with great humility that I REALIZE just how much God has already given me AND that He has a purpose for not only everything but every person he has placed in my life.

Without Him I would have nothing. Without His grace to bless my decisions nothing that I do would make a difference. And it His grace that takes and makes whatever it is I do in His name into something that makes others feel His very presence in their lives.

Humility isn’t about how I see myself or even more importantly it isn’t about how others see me. But rather humility is the grace to choose to do God’s will and to accept my weakness in needing His power to make what I do acceptable to Him.

He told a parable to those who had been invited, noticing how they were choosing the places of honor at the table. “When you are invited by someone to a wedding banquet, do not recline at table in the place of honor. A more distinguished guest than you may have been invited by him, and the host who invited both of you may approach you and say, ‘Give your place to this man,’ and then you would proceed with embarrassment to take the lowest place. Rather, when you are invited, go and take the lowest place so that when the host comes to you he may say, ‘My friend, move up to a higher position.’ Then you will enjoy the esteem of your companions at the table. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.” …blessed indeed will you be because of their inability to repay you. For you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.” Lk 14: 7-14

Do I look and act like the person HE made—because I am created in His image, shouldn’t I do whatever it is that I am doing in the same way God would? Do I use and share the gifts that HE gave me in the way he expected I would use them? Do you?

Are my priorities the same priorities he would have chosen for me? What has He given me that I am trying to keep for myself instead of sharing it with others (time, talent or treasure)?

Do I willing accept the sacrifice of hard work or a suffering of discipline, or do I keep trying to find a shortcut, pain relief, or a way to make His work more politically correct so that I can have social gain, instead of heavenly gain?

Do I find excuses so that I can do what I want to do instead of taking the time to do what God wants me to do? Am I willing to walk the same path He did, choosing to be with the least, and putting others needs ahead of mine?

Or am I expecting something in return when I give up my place at the table?

Heavenly Father, When you sent the Angel Gabriel to Mary to announce that she would be the Mother of Your son, Jesus, “Mary said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.” (Lk 1: 38) Give me the grace to imitate both her humbleness and her acceptance of the gifts and the sacrifices that must be made because of those very gifts. As she thanked you for her son, Jesus, Your Son, so I thank you for the gifts of my family. As she sacrificed and gave everything back to you, help me to humbly accept all that You ask me to give back to you. In your name, Amen.

All of the earthly riches around me weren’t created for me to live happily, or have a greater place at the table. The gifts we each have been given are for us to use to joyfully help others see God, thru us, and thru our own willingness to give EVERYTHING for them regardless of their ability to pay us back for what we have given or given up.

Are we giving enough? Could we give more? What are we “expecting” in return?

Mary (and Joseph) and Jesus: we were all created in Gods image, with the Holy Family as our living example. Can we be as humble and accepting of the truth, of the way, and of the life as they were?

It’s a journey…..humbly accepted,

In Christ,

Charlotte

It's For Your Own Good

Friends of Faith:

Do you remember these types of conversations with your parents? Mom: “Practice your piano.” Me: “Do I have to?” Dad: “Mom said so and it’s for your own good.”

Me: “I’m going into town to meet Stan.” Mom: “No, that’s not a proper way to date.” Me: “Why?” Mom: “You’ll figure it out later, but it’s for your own good.”

Looking back, I wish I would have practiced piano a little more, so that now I could pick up a music book and play without thought. And as for the way I was taught to date—yes, I have figured it out—and of course I said the exact same words to our own children.

I wasn’t really rebellious, but I know I tested my parents on occasion. I didn’t like discipline anymore then, than I do now. It can be difficult to do things over and over, and to do them the right way, with integrity, humility and with moral standards (God’s standards).

You have forgotten the exhortation addressed to you as children: “My son, do not disdain the discipline of the Lord or lose heart when reproved by him; for whom the Lord loves, he disciplines; he scourges every son he acknowledges.” Endure your trials as “discipline”; God treats you as sons.  For what “son” is there whom his father does not discipline? At the time, all discipline seems a cause not for joy but for pain, yet later it brings the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who are trained by it. So strengthen your drooping hands and your weak knees.  Make straight paths for your feet, that what is lame may not be disjointed but healed. Heb 12: 5-7, 11-13

Discipline: it’s for my/our own good.

It’s what keeps us from weighing too much: the discipline of eating right and exercising.

It’s what makes us good at our jobs: day in day out education and the practice of going to work, even when it would be easier to take a “sick day.”

It’s what makes my marriage full of joy and peace: forgiveness 70 x 7 times (never going to bed angry), instead of giving the silent treatment or just giving up altogether.

It’s what makes me appreciate all the gifts I have been given in life: as humbly each day I open mail asking for donations for orphans and the starving poor around the world, as daily I seek to listen with an open heart to hear God’s words in scripture and minute by minute I strive to put into practice the work of honoring the commandments He has spoken.

I find it difficult to “not covet” my neighbors annual cruises and exotic vacations; I strive for the patience to not get angry and rude with an IRS representative who is just doing their job after “wasting 2 hours of my time on hold;” and I seek to find tolerance for the friend who turns their back on our relationship because I spoke a moral truth they didn’t want to hear.

Jesus passed through towns and villages, teaching as he went and making his way to Jerusalem.  Someone asked him, “Lord, will only a few people be saved?”  He answered them, “Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I tell you, will attempt to enter but will not be strong enough…  Depart from me, all you evildoers!’And there will be wailing and grinding of teeth….  For behold, some are last who will be first, and some are first who will be last.” Lk 13: 22-30

Heavenly Father, You discipline us for our own good. Help me to not be discouraged by moral corruption and to endure the trials of this world.  Strengthen my weary (drooping) hands and weak knees to do whatever it is You ask of me. Help me to give up this world for Your world. Bless me with an open heart that isn’t afraid to speak the truth and help me to keep my eyes focused on Your narrow gate. Thank you for showing me your presence in the rich rewards of spiritually filled conversations with special friends and for the grace and peaceful fruit of a joy-filled marriage. May I be disciplined to live Your way, The Way, which will achieve the righteousness of Your eternal life. Amen.

May you be blessed in the discipline of doing what is right, by seeking and speaking the truth, and through the renewed hope of God’s presence and power through the relationships in Your life.

In the Spirit of Christ,

Charlotte

www.morningreflection.blogspot.com

Focus on the Better Part

Women of Faith:

I have focused this past week yet again on my family. My co-workers probably think I have deserted them, but I know work will still be there when the grandkids return to Colorado to start school in what will be just a short time.

It is always difficult and a mind struggle however to be torn between “hanging out” and playing when you know there is work to be done. My focus is divided, but I often remind myself when I am divided—division equals the devil’s intrusion.

So what is the right answer, the better part, the choice that God would choose for me?

I find my solution in this question: “If I only had a day to live, or if I had one regret, what would it be?” I don’t want my own answer to be what I think is often the most regretful answer, and that is: “I didn’t spend enough time with my spouse or/and my family (or I mistreated them in some way, by some lack of forgiveness, or through some misunderstanding.)”

And I think this is a part of what God tries to tell us that in the famous Mary/Martha story: “Jesus entered a village where a woman whose name was Martha welcomed him. She had a sister named Mary who sat beside the Lord at his feet listening to him speak. Martha, burdened with much serving, came to him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me by myself to do the serving? Tell her to help me.” The Lord said to her in reply, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and worried about many things. There is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part and it will not be taken from her.” Lk 10: 38-42

Will we regret not having spent enough time with God? Someday will we ask ourselves: “Would I have received more answers to life’s challenges if I had prayed and listened more to God, instead of listening to the classic “everyone else is doing it” answer?”

God’s ultimate gift is forgiveness and mercy—to whom do I fail to give the same better part? Who is my first neighbor? Does my family come before work, or does my desire to be noticed in the world out rank the better part?

I hope that my focus is always on God first. For with God: all things are possible, God is the bearer of all good gifts, and God’s will for me is always the right choice for me.

There is a fine line between working to do God’s will and working to do what I want to do for myself. Without prayer (asking AND listening) to God it is difficult to know what the better part is that God wants me to chose.

Heavenly Father, You are the best part. Thank You for giving me the gift to know and trust You. Help me to always have the courage to allow you to be the better part of my decisions. Teach me to pray and to listen to Your call instead of answering the world. Help me to always choose the better part by following You and by serving those whom you place in my path. Amen.

Today and every day let us focus on the better part: the all powerful, the all truthful, the all knowing, wisdom, strength, courage, forgiveness and mercy that is the Spirit of God.

In the Spirit of Christ,

Charlotte

www.morningreflection.blogspot.com

One Nation, Under God with Liberty and Justice for All

Friends of Faith:

“Take, Lord, and receive all my liberty, my memory, my understanding, and all my will—all that I have and possess. You, Lord, have given all that to me. I now give it back to you, O Lord. All of it is yours. Dispose of it according to your will. Give me love of yourself, along with your grace, for that is enough for me.” –St Ignatius of Loyola (1491-1556)

I search for truth: for liberty and justice for all. And I find I need to say nothing, except to quote this week’s scripture and the prayers of the Saints scattered amongst prayer book after prayer book to remind me that if I put God FIRST, and never second then I too will have the freedom I am seeking.

“Brothers and sisters: For freedom Christ set us free; so stand firm and do not submit again to the yoke of slavery.
For you were called for freedom, brothers and sisters. But do not use this freedom as an opportunity for the flesh; rather, serve one another through love. For the whole law is fulfilled in one statement, namely, You shall love your neighbor as yourself. But if you go on biting and devouring one another,
beware that you are not consumed by one another. I say, then: live by the Spirit and you will certainly not gratify the desire of the flesh. For the flesh has desires against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; these are opposed to each other, so that you may not do what you want. But if you are guided by the Spirit, you are not under the law.” Gal 5: 1,13-18

Serve God, not the law: don’t abuse the freedoms and the free will that God has given us (God may have given me a choice, but if it isn’t God’s will, then it might not be a good choice).

Give him my memory—my memory? (put into my head, my memory, only what is truly God’s understanding, and forgive and forget any injustices I may have received so that I may love my “enemies” as unconditionally as God loves me.)

And a reminder that the world is made of things to serve our flesh (good things to consume, look at, buy, and use) but that the Spirit which guides us would only give us these things to sustain us and to use for the good of others. Food is to sustain, sex is to procreate and unify a marriage, and time, talent AND treasures are to give away: so that others may also be filled with Christ (physically, emotionally and spiritually.)

Only God’s law IS law: and man’s laws which override the commandments take away our freedoms instead of protecting them.

“O God our Creator, from your provident hand we have received our right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. You have called us as your people and given us the right and the duty to worship you, the only true God, and your Son, Jesus Christ. Through the power and working of your Holy Spirit, you call us to live out our faith in the midst of the world, bringing the light and the saving truth of the Gospel to every corner of society. We ask you to bless us in our vigilance for the gift of religious liberty.

Give us the strength of mind and heart to readily defend our freedoms when they are threatened; give us courage in making our voices heard on behalf of the rights of your Church and the freedom of conscience of all people of faith.
Grant, we pray, O heavenly Father, a clear and united voice to all your sons and daughters gathered in your Church in this decisive hour in the history of our nation, so that, with every trial withstood and every danger overcome— for the sake of our children, our grandchildren, and all who come after us—this great land will always be “one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.” We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.” (Prayer of St. Thomas More, patron for religious freedom)

Happy Independence Day! May you seek and be blessed with the truth of God, the Spirit of Undivided Liberty and Justice, Joyful Freedom from worldly desires, and be justified thru the Grace of God.

In Faith,

Charlotte

From God's Point of View

Friendsof Faith:

The readings this past week would have all fit in the condensed version of “God’s Little Instruction book for Life.”

“Cause no one to stumble in anything.” 2 Cor 6: 1 “Love your enemies.”  Mt 5: 44 “God loves a cheerful giver.” 2 Cor 9: 7 “This is how you are to pray, Our Father….” Mt 6: 9 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, but store up treasures in heaven.” Mt 6: 19 “No one can serve two masters, You cannot serve God and mammon.” Mt 6: 24 For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it.” Lk 9: 24

Have you ever looked at your life completely from God’s point of view, using God’s instruction book as your guide?

As Christians we believe God gives us everything and that everything that is good comes from God. So why is it so difficult to choose our path in life? Why is it so easy to justify the world’s point of view? How do we look to God AND to other Christians? Would it be easy for someone else to identify us as a Christian?

Do I help others to make good choices (cause no one to stumble) or do I tell others—it’s your choice, it must be right if  so and so, ……., it is the law, or everyone else is doing it? Does our law override God’s law?

Do I forgive those who hurt me, ignore me or judge me, and do I hold grudges against those who I consider enemies? Or do I pray for them as Jesus taught us?

Do I ask what I can reward myself with or do I cheerfully give my time, talent and treasures FOR the good of others?

Is it more important to make money to satisfy my own needs or is it more important to use my money for the benefit of the whole? (Do I honor God or the world?)

Are our spiritual goals as important as our earthly goals? (God or mammon/money)

What if we made His conscience ours; gave advice as if it was his; and made every choice as if he was standing next to us? Would our life look differently than it does now?

Heavenly Father, you have given us every instruction we need to live our life to achieve the greatest reward, heaven. Help us to make your goal for us our own goal. Help us to give cheerfully, pray as you taught and teach thru your counsel. Help us to make You our only master. Thank you for all of the gifts you have given me. May I use them to serve you and others and to draw me closer to you. Amen.

No human is without sin—that is why God gave us these instructions to follow, so that we can become holy in His world (heaven). This world is our practice field, a time to train and a time to condition our hearts for Him.

God gives us His expectations. May I make his point of view my own.
Blessings,
Charlotte

Exercise

Friends of Faith:

Exercise—oh how I hate that word. I’d much rather not do it, and I keep hoping someone else will do it for me than so that I don’t have to do it myself.

On the flip side, I love to eat: all I can, whenever possible. It seems to be my favorite recreation. I am always inventing reasons to eat out and trying new things to eat in my kitchen.

But we all know what happens when we eat and don’t exercise. We get fat, not healthy. Instead of the food I am eating becoming the nutrition which energizes and strengthens, I become sluggish, lack endurance and become weak.

And vice-versa for some who exercise whenever possible, but starve themselves physically. They too are unhealthy.

It’s a delicate balance. Most of us struggle at some time with the balance and very few are perfectly balanced all or even most of the time.

He said to them, "Give them some food yourselves." They replied, "Five loaves and two fish are all we have, unless we ourselves go and buy food for all these people." Now the men there numbered about five thousand… Then taking the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, he said the blessing over them, broke them, and gave them to the disciples to set before the crowd. They all ate and were satisfied. And when the leftover fragments were picked up, they filled twelve wicker baskets. Lk 9: 13-17

And the balance between eating and exercising is very much like the balance we need in our spiritual lives—between being present and fed by Christ’s word and food each week in the Eucharist and by the way we exercise the faith we profess when we walk outside the walls of the church.

By just exercising our “goodness” as a person without being nourished spiritually we will be left unfulfilled and wanting. To say we have faith and to do good without attending Church and receiving the promise of the Eucharistic food we will be left weak and sluggish—without enough Spirit to move us forward.

And vice-versa, by just eating the food of the Eucharist and not exercising His message I won’t be entirely healthy, because this was not God’s intention for us as a community of well fed Christians.

Unlike earthly food which becomes more like us, God’s food (the Eucharist) is intended to make us more like Him. His nourishment should spiritually strengthen us and better equip us to exercise of our faith though the gifts he has given us in our talents and through His graces. Instead of being taken in, He is in us to take us out—to show His glory to the world by the way we live.

But just like exercise, we have to do something to make that happen, to use the nourishment (the faith) He gives us.

Heavenly Father, in the sacrifice of Your Son, Jesus, by His Body and Blood given to us as our everlasting food, at the Last Supper, and by His death on the cross (exercise) you have shown us perfect balance in word and deed. Help me to learn to balance my life. May the fulfillment I receive by Your food (Eucharist and Scripture) be multiplied by the faithful exercise of Your presence in my life. Thank you for the promise of fulfillment in the rewards of heaven.  Amen.

Exercise in the Spirit, eat and be filled by the Body of Christ, be balanced by a perfect God (Father, Son and Holy Spirit)—the perfect unending trinity.
Blessings,
Charlotte