What Keeps You Away From the Fire of God’s Love?

By Arrowood |

http://www.myinnerabbey.com – Tell me your greatest challenge to growing in your faith and I’ll create a video teaching you how to overcome it!

This Catholic spirituality “spot check” challenges you to identify what is keeping you from growing in your Catholic faith. Spot checks are like miniature Catholic spiritual retreats online, helping you overcome spiritual dryness.

Brought to you by Jeffrey S. Arrowood. My mission is to help Catholic adults rediscover the JOY of learning and living their faith so they can grow in intimacy with God.

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During meditation the other day I was reading through the story of the coming of the Wise Men. A bit strange since at the time I’m recording this video we’re in the middle of our Easter celebration, but I’m just beginning the Gospel of Saint Matthew.

Now, this is a story that we’re all very familiar with, and I was tempted to just speed through it. But the Holy Spirit opened my eyes to two things that I had never noticed before, and I wanted to share these insights with you. Saint Matthew tells us that not only was King Herod perturbed by the presence of the Wise Men, but so was all of Israel.

Second, even though the Scribes and Pharisees knew where the Messiah was to be born – and apparently had heard about the Wise Men seeking a new king, none of them accompany the Wise Men to Bethlehem.

Now, we don’t know the historical details, but in prayer the Holy Spirit had me asking, “Why would all of Jerusalem be perturbed at the arrival of the Wise Men and why would nonoe of the Scribes and Pharisese want to check out the possibility of the coming of the Messiah?

Perhaps – like Herod – they were happy and comfortable with the status quo. Maybe they were insulted or incredulous that the Messiah would be revealed to and through outsiders.

Whatever the reason, they missed out on the opportunityto recognize and welcome the Messiah. So then I started thinking, what keeps US from recognizing Jesus in our lown lives? For me, I recognize Jesus in prayer, in the Mass in the Sacraments, and in the beauty of Sacred Scripture and Sacred Tradition.

But I often miss His presence in the details of daily life. This awareness is what I think St. Paul meant when he said to pray at all times. What keeps me from recognizing Jesus and welcoming Him in my daily life? Am I just too comfortable wth my status quo to let God mix things up?

Is it a desire to remain in charge and in control? Maybe it’s a fear of what He might ask of me. Or is it just plain self-absorption?

It was a good examination of conscience for me. What about you? What keeps you away from the fire of God’s love in your life? Why do you not accompany the Wise Men to seek Him out and draw closer to Him? Something to think about.

If you find yourself distant from God’s love, I’d love to help you through whatever is holding you back. I invite you to go to myinnerabbey.com and tell me about your greatest obstacle to spiritual growth. The link is in the video description below.

I’ll offer some practical strategies for overcoming your obstacle on our live webcast, “My Inner Abbey.” So go on over to myinnerabbey.com now and answer a simple one-question survey. I look forward to working with you!

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