The Weapon for the Pursuit of Holiness

            As God’s children in the pursuit of holiness we wonder what it takes to be pure in the midst of this chaotic world. God says that King David is a man after his own heart and then he asks an important question. “How can young people keep their way pure?” He then answers it saying “By guarding it according to your word.” Psalm 119:9.

            In this pursuit of holiness, in the narrow path, we take many detours towards the wide path and then come back  following Christ. Jesus tells us very clearly by these words that “you go wrong because you neither know the scriptures nor the power of God” Matthew 22:29.

God again says that “be holy as I am holy”. God our Father who asks us to be perfect also gave us the manuscript of perfection  – The Holy bible.

            King David says that “Through your precepts I get understanding, therefore I hate every false way. Your word is a lamp unto my feet and a light to my path” Psalms 119:105-106. The Holy Bible is the only book that can lead us in the right path in every situation of our life.

                         

            The one who leads us away from God is none other than the Devil and Saint Paul tells us “...Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his power. Put on the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For our struggle is not against enemies of blood and flesh, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to withstand on that evil day, and having done everything stand firm.” Ephesians 6:10-13

            Word of God is the Sword of the Spirit. There is not one warrior in the annals of history that had gone out to fight without his sword and so we as followers of Christ, should be well equipped with the word of God to continue walking through the narrow paths following Christ. Jesus himself is our best example. When he was tempted by the devil in the wilderness, he uses the word of God to subdue him and to glorify his Father though he was famished and weak. Matthew 4:1-11

            “In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” John 1:1. Jesus who is the Word was made flesh and prayed to his Father “…Sanctify them in the truth; your word is the truth. John 17:17 Thus the word of God has a purifying effect in our lives.

            The Holy Spirit who is our counselor, guides us primarily through the Word of God. Just glancing through it will not help us but rather we need to meditate on it. As the bible says; “This book of the law shall not depart out of your mouth; you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to act in accordance with all that is written in it. For then you shall make your way prosperous, and then you shall be successful. I hereby command you: Be strong and courageous; do not be frightened or dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:8-9

            This confirms that only when we meditate on the word in accordance with the teaching of the Catholic Church, day and night will we be able to act in accordance with what is written in it. This is just the reason why King David says “I treasure your word in my heart, so that I may not sin against you.” Psalm 119:10. Then comes the most important question for people who are serious in their spiritual life “How to meditate on the Word of God?” This link is a good place to start http://www.agapebiblestudy.com/ .

            I would like to conclude by saying “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock. The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not act on them will be like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell—and great was its fall!” Matthew 7:24-27

The word of God also says; “… Be doers of the word and not merely hearers who deceive themselves. For if any are hearers of the word and not doers, they are like those who look at themselves- in a mirror; for they look at themselves and, on going away, immediately forget what they were like. But those who look into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and persevere, being not hearers who forget but doers who act—they will be blessed in their doing.” James 1:22:25

            Let us not just meditate on the word as a book of great wisdom but let us bring it to life by living the word and thereby being a blessing to ourselves and to those in our lives.

           

Walking with the Cross

Most grievous mistakes of my life by word and deed have been when I have had a wavering mind. 

This has helped me understand that the essential ingredient for failure is a wavering mind. This is the very thing that the devil wants in our spiritual life, to be ever distracted and ever wandering. The moment we take our eyes away from the cross and look to the world we get distracted and start drifting, Satan has gotten his way. Word of God say’s "Do not love the world or the things in the world. The love of the Father is not in those who love the world; for all that is in the world—the desire of the flesh, the desire of the eyes, the pride in riches—comes not from the Father but from the world. And the world and its desire are passing away, but those who do the will of God live forever 1 john 2:15-17. 

The action of taking our eyes away from the cross is instigated by the devil by a set few ways. First and the most encountered is temptation, the second is hardships, third is by busyness. Saint John of the Cross in his book the "spiritual canticle" said that "Every soul should know that even though God does not answer its prayer immediately, he will not on that account fail to answer it at the opportune time if it does not become discouraged and give up its prayer." 

Giving up and just existing in life or get led by the concepts of the world and not living life according to how the Word of God leads us, is the perfect recipe for disaster. Jesus lays emphasis on persistence in prayer in the parable of the Unjust Judge. He asks us not to lose heart in prayer and to keep asking. He concludes with an interesting question "And yet, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth? Luke 18:1-8 Thus it finally boils down to one aspect of our spiritual lives "Faith". Saint Paul in his letter to the Hebrews says "without faith it is impossible to please God," and Jesus Christ is the perfecter of our faith. In the letter of James he says My brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of any kind, consider it nothing but joy, because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance.

Jesus said "He who endures to the end will be saved Matthew 24:13". Jesus true to his words shows us to be the  epitome of endurance on the cross where Jesus dies in the most excruciating manner possible because of the wounds and loss of all blood in his holy body. I am stupefied by this statement that Jesus says that if he asks his father, his father will send 12 legions of angels for his rescue but he still does not. We who are prone to abuse of power in small or big ways find it difficult to understand how someone with so much of power will not use it and endure the pain to his end. All this was done so that the will of the Father may be accomplished thereby he is exalted above all names. Now he stands as the only way to the Father for Jesus said I am the way the truth and the life. Single injection or a slight pain in any part of the body suffices or just the plain sight of blood to bring out a cry asking for help but yet the lamb did not use his power. 

The creator chose to be silent. All this is out of LOVE. Silent endurance. How can we improve this “endurance” in our lives? Is this the ingredient that is missing in our spiritual walk? God wants us to endure. By accepting our share of the small crosses that the good Lord sends our way with joy for Christ tells us “take up your cross and follow me” but is that the only way to get endurance in our spiritual lives. 

Yes the word of God teaches us to not just simply accept our sufferings “but we also boast in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us.   For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly” Romans 5:3-6. As we grow in our endurance Jesus promises to strengthen us. Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, so that he may exalt you in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him, because he cares for you. Discipline yourselves; keep alert. Like a roaring lion your adversary the devil prowls around, looking for someone to devour. Resist him, steadfast in your faith, for you know that your brothers and sisters throughout the world are undergoing the same kinds of suffering. And after you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, support, strengthen, and establish you. 1 peter 5:6-10