Deacon Tom Anthony

 

 

We need to be thankful and aware of all the gifts that God has given us in our lives. Even when we are struggling and might find ourselves in a situation or place where we do not want to be God can be found guiding us and comforting us in our time of need. There is always the potential of being happy even when it might appear to be absolutely impossible for that to happen. But everything is possible with God and he truly does not want us to suffer. As Christian, we cannot surrender to our anxieties or react in a negative way to obstacles and challenges in our lives. We must have complete faith in Our Lord and permit him to strengthen us when we need him the most. Through this action it is possible to find light even in the darkest times in our lives.

The Easter Season is almost over. We have been celebrating the Resurrection of Our Lord Jesus Christ for six weeks now. Through the course of this season has our relationship with Jesus changed? Have we embraced the Resurrected Christ and have truly acknowledged him as our savior and allowed him to love us? Have we allowed him to come closer to us and take an active part in our lives? As Christians, it is necessary to contemplate our relationship with Jesus continuously and reflect on what he has done for us. If Jesus is truly our savior and the Son of God then we must treat him as such and not fight against the influence he can have on our actions and our deeds. He can be a powerful force of change if we just surrender to his will.

It is our reality as Christians that Jesus is with us all the time. We are eternally united with him and to the Father through him. That presence is felt by the Holy Spirit but we must accept this relationship to benefit from it. We must completely surrender to it if we are going to live the Christian Experience. Our lives are defined by relationships and what we do with those relationships. It is the same with our relationship with our God. We cannot take this relationship for granted but must continuously build on it. If we do not, we risk the possibility of becoming strangers to Jesus through our own decisions and actions. Jesus never abandons us but we can abandon him.

Being a Christian and a Child of God, our relationship can never be an individual experience. Proof of this is the Holy Trinity. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit work together to bring us to salvation. We are encouraged to live our lives the same way: in a community that we call family and friends. Through a community we are able to strengthen our faith, support each other, and help each other. We can also celebrate our lives together. Through a community our faith becomes alive. We are not afraid to share our weaknesses and fears. It is then through a community that these weaknesses are strengthened and the fears are conquered.

Christ indeed offers the Living Water that is necessary in our lives. Life takes on new meaning with Christ. It gives us purpose and a reason to live. Through Christ we realize that love is the answer to everything. Without this love we are in danger of becoming immersed in everything that is wrong with this world. When we worship or gather together in community to celebrated our God, why does it feel so good? Why do we feel safe and secure? It is because the Love of God is all around us. We are surrounded by people who love us and God is there. He becomes our shield and our protector. A warrior would not go into battle without his armor; we should not live our lives without the protective love of our creator.

Going forward in our lives, we should always remember that God is with us and that he loves us. When we love, it does put us in a helpless state but it is a good state because it means that we have surrendered to God and then he can do his work. We are a masterpiece in the making. Let go and let God do his work.

Deacon Tom