“For by grace you have been save through faith; and this is not your own doing, it is the gift of God…” (Ephesians 2:8)
Faith is a gift. It is true that we must respond to that gift by receiving it, but it all comes from God’s gracious initiative.
God prepares my heart to hear the call of the divine “message”, the Holy Spirit’s summons working mysteriously through the circumstances of my life. If I move my will to respond with the faith I’ve been granted – even if it only seems like a little mustard seed’s worth of faith – and if I humble myself to receive the Gift, the life of Jesus begins to take shape within me. Baptism seals the deal and grants me to be “born again by water and the Spirit”.
Jesus’s Presence entering into my heart and life begins the slow process of cleansing me (he touched the leper and was made him clean), of healing me (he spoke and the lame walked and the blind regained their sight), and renewing and transforming me (he raised up and empowered his followers to live as new creations in Him). It’s his work, his grace; my part is to continue to say my “yes” to Him, and make sure that I abide in him, for without him, I can do nothing.
Like Mary who said her own “yes”, receiving from Him is my calling also so that the life of Christ might grow in me spiritually as it did in her physically. Saint Augustine said, “Mary conceived Jesus in her heart before she conceived him in her womb.” My heart can conceive him through faith as well.
This Life is nurtured in my mind as I grow in understanding God’s revelation of Himself through the Scriptures and the Church’s teaching. This Life is sustained by the Sacraments, especially by the Eucharist, that supernatural food which feeds the very life of Christ within me, within my soul and body (I am a temple of the Spirit, after all).
And this Life requires prayer, that “umbilical cord” of connection with the Godhead. Not just perfunctory prayer (though even that can do a little something in me), but rather prayer that is genuine and vulnerable conversation, remaining receptive and attentive even when nothing seems to be happening. Such prayer ultimately grants me spiritual sight to see God’s providential goodness operating in my life. It strengthens my trust in the Father’s mercy and faithfulness, and deepens my friendship with Jesus.
It all begins with God’s initiative. He sees me, knows me, loves me and is always seeking me. You too. All is grace, all is gift. It only awaits our “yes”.
Lessons From Love School 
Thanks again, Chris for your insights. It’s interesting to me that we can say “yes” to a lot of things so very easily, especially if they benefit us or there is some big payoff. “Buy a lottery ticket, you may become a billionaire!” Yes! “Have a second helping of food” Yes! “Purchase the next new technological gadget” Yes! Yet when God takes the initiative to offer us the greatest gift to which nothing on earth can compare, the automatic “Yes” is not so readily given. “Humility, surrender of selfishness, putting others first, Hmm, I will have to think about that.” So sad that so many miss out on such a great gift of grace.
LikeLike
Thank you for this beautiful reminder. I have been thinking lately of what it means to have faith in all the moments of our lives, even when we cannot see the goodness, and about what it means for a culture when it is robbed of its awareness of the invitation to enter that faith. I heard Francis Chan say last week that in remembering faith is a gift, we must be merciful towards those who are not able to rest in that place of hope and peace and trust. That has stayed with me, I want to be an instrument of His presence, I want to receive His discipline, I hope to manifest faith and mercy both that I might live in the truth of His gift and be an encouragement to those around me. thank you for this encouragement.
LikeLike