Today, I am continuing to expand upon the 4 Simple Steps to Holiness. The first step is the habit of daily prayer and meditation. The second step is living a life of grace.
What is a life of grace? It is for us to intentionally open ourselves to being filled with God’s graces and the Holy Spirit. For Roman Catholics, this means that we frequent the sacraments of Holy Eucharist and Reconciliation.
Although God’s graces are present in all the sacraments, Holy Eucharist and Reconciliation are the ones that we can receive frequently, even daily. It is in Holy Eucharist that we receive “food for the journey” that not only sustains us, but in turn, helps us nourish others.
Reconciliation is our encounter with the saving love and merciful graces of our Heavenly Father. Just like the Prodigal Son returning home, we, too, encounter that same love and mercy when we confess our sins and ask for healing from our “thorns” in our side. Sometimes, when we are forgiven, we are healed completely of our sins. But other times, although God forgives us, He allows our weakness to remain so it becomes apparent that it is Him working in our lives through our weakness, and this then assists us in being a better instrument of God’s mercy to others.
In both of these sacraments, when we intentionally go and are filled with God’s graces, then those graces can overflow and be passed to others who can encounter those same graces which are not are own, but are from God.
And that is why I stress the intentionality of living a life of grace. Because we need to say yes to becoming God’s instrument of grace. We need to say yes to prioritizing going to Mass so we can be nourished by the Holy Eucharist. We need to be willing to humble ourselves and go to Reconciliation and be filled with the loving mercy of God, so we may truly live out “forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us.”
For living a life of grace, is all grace. It’s only possible because of God’s generosity and magnificence and His overflowing love and mercy for each one of us.
Although a life of grace is possible, God desires our cooperation. He desires our “yes” to being filled with His graces, He desires our “yes” to being His instrument, He desires our “yes” to living a life of purpose, peace and abundance.
So say yes to the life He desires for you, and choose to live the life of grace that is waiting for you.
