How are we to come closer to seeing the Kingdom of God? It all depends of motivation and determination on growing closer to God, and to our brothers and sisters through Faith. In today's world, it is so easy to put other things above our faith life, our dedicated prayer life. How often do you tend to stay up later watching Netflix instead of taking the 5-15 minutes to reflect on your day, and thank God for all the blessings He has given to you. Pray for the gift of life that you get to live day in and day out, no matter the trials or happy moments that occur. Do we put our faith life above everything else?
I know for myself, being integrated in technology and the busy life of a student, there is never a moment of peace. There is always a task to do, whether that be work, or schoolwork, and even times of rest can feel like another task to mark off on the list. If we do not fall to the sin of worshipping other gods as idols, do we not pay too much attention to meaningless things in the end, or at least, focus too much time on these things? I heard the phrase "time is the most precious thing you can give" and this occurs in every circumstance, especially when striving to live a life of faith. We invest our time in what we care about most, and if we truly wish to call ourselves people of faith, then prayer and worship need to be a primary focus every day, followed by acting upon our faith by helping those around us.
Today's Gospel states:'And one of the scribes came up and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, asked him, "Which commandment is the first of all?" Jesus answered, "The first is, `Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one; and you shall Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.' The second is this, `You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no other commandment greater than these." And the scribe said to him, "You are right, Teacher; you have truly said that he is one, and there is no other but he; and to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the strength, and to love one's neighbor as oneself, is much more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices." And when Jesus saw that he answered wisely, he said to him, "You are not far from the kingdom of God." And after that no one dared to ask him any question' (Mark 12:28-34).Jesus tells us that the most important commandment is to honour God with all our hearts, and the second being to love our neighbour as ourself. Every day, make sure then to invest time for growing in your faith, dedicating time solely for God, and for helping others, even if it's just in the little things you do. You invest your time in what's most important to you after all.
Today's prayer comes from 'Mission St. Claire', a prayer of self-dedication:
Almighty and eternal God, so draw our hearts to you, so guide our minds, so fill our imaginations, so control our wills, that we may be wholly yours, utterly dedicated unto you; and then use us, we pray you, as you will, and always to your glory and the welfare of your people; through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.
