Belong, Believe, Behave

Dear friends on the journey,
 
Confession time! I’ve been a Catholic nearly my entire life: 12 years of Catholic school, have all my sacraments, go to mass every Sunday, sent my kids to Catholic school, given more time, talent and treasure than I can count. For nearly 30 years, I have worked for the church, been involved in just about every ministry from new parents baptizing their babies to seniors, from fundraising to formation, and attended every talk or workshop to help me in ministry and life. I have been a good Catholic. Until…
 
Ten years ago, I began what would become a real journey of spiritual growth. An archdiocesan program, spiritual reading, more study and deeper reflection led me to this realization: I was religious but not spiritual. This one statement summed up my faith life to that point. I was behaving the way a good Catholic ought, had faith in the institution and structure of the Church, and had a lot of head knowledge about our Catholic religion. While all this is good, something more important was missing: my own true, authentic, personal relationship with God and Jesus. I did not have strong heart knowledge of our creator and savior. I truly believed but at a more superficial level. Since then my spiritual journey has shifted tremendously to turn my heart towards Jesus so that this relationship influences my thoughts, words and actions. This journey is lifelong and I am a work in progress every single day.
 
Our second reading today from 1 John tells us that we are children of God. We belong to God, we belong to one another, and as a result, we are commanded to believe in Jesus and love as he does. Interestingly, the USCCB commentary on verses 1-3 says: “The greatest sign of God’s love is the gift of his Son that has made Christians true children of God….true knowledge of God will ultimately be gained, and Christians prepare themselves now by virtuous lives in imitation of the Son.”
 
So I ask, how can we imitate Jesus does if we do not really know him through a personal, intimate relationship? Where are you on your journey with Jesus? If you truly belong to God, are you letting others know? Do you believe with your head or heart? Are you behaving by going through the motions? What does this life mean? What is our purpose?
 
I invite you to consider these questions in Alpha, a series of 15 interactive sessions exploring life and our Christian faith, who Jesus is, how to develop or grow a relationship with him, and how to live with authenticity and purpose. Starting January 28, we’ll get together weekly for a meal, a talk, and to discuss questions about life and faith. Alpha is for everyone… those who do not believe, those who are wondering, those new to the Christian faith, and those believers who want to go deeper. So start thinking about someone to invite and consider making Alpha your new year’s resolution!
 
Siempre Adelante,
Teresa Runyon

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