The associated reading for this reflection can be found in your Every Sacred Sunday Mass journal or online here.
In today’s second reading from Paul to the Thessalonians, he begins with “Brothers and sisters: we always pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling.” Of course, Catholics often hear about the endless mercy of our loving God. But what a beautiful blessing it is to really pinpoint and witness some of these acts of mercy within our own lives. That’s not to say I am somehow worthy of God’s calling. I am not. It is, however, to say that I am blessed to even have the desire in my heart to pray that He make me worthy of His calling. I see merely this desire as a profound act of God’s mercy.
As I think about my twenties being a decade under construction, I am forever grateful of our Lord’s unending grace. And while I have never fallen away from the faith, it always seemed like I was trying to live my life just for me. Sure, I was Catholic and, coincidentally, many people knew that about me. But I didn’t act like a Catholic, nor did I pray like one. I would attend a few daily Masses throughout the week and every single Sunday, but my somewhat-unhealthy attraction to bars and girls coincided with that schedule.
As a 32-year old looking back at those ten years of my life, I now realize how truly merciful and hardworking Christ has been. While I am still so unexplainably far from perfection, I can now see that receiving Jesus in the Eucharist (even, sadly, at times, quite unworthily) all those years of my life, it has truly been Christ diligently and consistently giving me limitless opportunities to change my worldly habits and begin to open my eyes to the idea of conforming my will to that of His. After all, how could I call myself a Catholic and promote teachings of the faith if I was not willing to live my life for the wonderful cause of building Christ’s Church here on earth? For such a long time, I was asking others to do exactly what I had not been doing myself; denying myself and giving my life to Christ.
It is through frequent reconciliation and reception of the Holy Eucharist that the Lord allows for a beautiful and fruitful transformation to occur in our lives. We see these examples in some of the most inspiring saints who are drawn to the sacraments. This week, I pray that the Lord, especially through His Sacraments, transforms all of our lives and makes us worthy of His calling.
Chris Tanner is currently in charge of student conduct and discipline at All Saints Catholic Central Middle and High School in Bay City, Michigan and also frontmans the secular indie/rock band Vince Dynamic, which consists of four Catholics. He sits as vice chair on the parish council of Our Lady of Czestochowa Parish and is a 14-year 3rd degree member of the Knights of Columbus.