DEACON TOM ANTHONY

Tuesday, August 18, 2015







When we gather together in community to love and worship Jesus Christ it is easy to feel the Holy Spirit move through all of us, bringing us closer together; giving us the strength necessary to continue a devote life. The right choices appear more easily. There is safety, comfort, and a powerful love that unites all of us together. It is obvious that there is presence of Jesus Christ that cannot be denied. This is why we keep coming back to the church; either when we are in crisis or for regular fellowship. But what about after we leave? How are we to sustain those feelings and the presence of the Holy Spirit within ourselves? When we feel God’s Love it can be overwhelming in a good way. We want more of it and strive for that feeling to stay. Yet, when confronted with the challenges of the world and the allure of sin, we run the risk of letting that presence become a fading glory instead of a permanent state of being. We have a natural inclination to turn away from God and it is far easier to ignore and distrust him than to surrender to him completely.
Saint Paul writes how the Spirit is constantly at war with the flesh. Our spiritual selves are naturally drawn to our creator while the flesh is drawn towards sin. They can be compatable as long as our spiritual selves remain the stronger of the two. The problem is that we have ignored our spiritual selves for far too long in favor of embracing everything physical in this world without recognizing who created this world. We ignore the Father, distrust the Son, and ignore completely the presence of the Holy Spirit. Then, in times of desperation, we cry out to the one who created us and loves us like a lost child in the forest; not realizing that he is right beside us and at times was even carrying us.
Christ understands us completely. He realizes the tremendous battle that rages within us and how we are torn apart by this conflict of the Spirit and the Flesh. He also acknowledges that when we fight alone, we will always lose. There is no doubt that we are not strong enough to overcome the forces of darkness if we choose to control all aspects of the engagement. To overcome our broken nature and to be victorious, we must surrender completely. Not to that which opposes us but rather to he who loves us completely: God.
Our faith provides us with the tools of survival and the weapons of war. One of these is the Eucharist: the true presence of the Body and Blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ. Through the Eucharist we are offered spiritual nourishment that strengthen us and builds us up. It forges our relationship with Jesus Christ and brings us closer to him. It is a special Sacramental Grace that is completely central to our faith. It is the apex of our faith-live and must be treated as such. Whenever and wherever it is offered we are obligated to respond and receive it with complete submission and awe. Nothing can withstand its presence for it is the presence of our God. How fortunate we are that the Holy Spirit dwells within us, the Father watches over us, and the Son can enter us so that he may lift us up; defending us against anything and everything that stands in our way.
We come forward broken and beaten. We seek him out and find him. We knock and the door is opened. We ask and it is given to us. We sit down at table to eat with him and he with us. He feeds us physically, mentally, and spiritually. We are nourished beyond our comprehension. We are provided with wisdom, comfort, peace, and love. Everything is given to us. We are never forgotten. We are forever unified with him now and forever. Our God has given us the capability to experience him on a very personal level such as this. For our own sake and salvation we should come forward and seize this opportunity with two hands

Deacon Tom

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