Born for this time in history

Have you ever wondered why you were born to live in this time in history? I do. I wonder why God made me for this time. Why not the Victorian age? Why not during the American revolution time? But he made us for today.

We are living in an upside down world. Bad is good. Blatant sinfullness is popular and praised in our culture. JP2 was right, we are living in a culture of death.

Fr. Corapi on EWTN said "Don't focus on the darkness" in this world. Isn't that great advice ? The times we are living in are dark. But we are called to be lights and to focus on Jesus, the light of the world.

So, in this dark time in human history, why are YOU here ? Why am I here ? What is our purpose ? We each have a unique purpose. Some days I think I know my purpose. and know exactly where to shine my little light, and other days I don't.

We are coming to the closing days of the Lenten season. Have we grown in faith? Have we grown in our relationship with Jesus ? Have we created habits that will last far beyond Holy Week and Easter Sunday ? Have we had a conversion experience during this time? Have we prayed, fasted, gone to confession, given alms ? Have we become more holy ? Have we taken advantage of everything our wonderful Catholic Church has offered us ?

Have I become more holy? I hope so, perhaps a little bit. I have tried during Lent to become better. I really have. I have prayed from the heart with great seriousness. I know Jesus listened. I have felt His grace in those moments.

But, I am not prepared to say why God put me here at this point. I just hope that I am doing His will as best I can as the opporunity arises each day. I suppose that the quick answer of why I am here is "to love and serve God"...but unpacking that phrase takes time and reflection.

I do know that, collectively, we Catholics are put here in this time to be lights in the darkness, in however that will take form for each of us. I believe that we will someday be held accountable to the One Almighty God for how well we let our lights shine. We have the entire deposit of faith, afterall. We have the answers in Jesus Christ. It is like we have a grand closet filled with gifts and everything we need, but we keep it locked up and refuse to share it with others, or even to share it with ourselves.

We have to open the closet wide, throw away the keys, make an assembly line and toss out the gifts for the entire world! There are needs out there in the world that we are supposed to be helping with. Jesus said, whatsover we do to the least, we do to him. At this point in time we are letting sin run rampant because we do not speak up. WE HAVE THE HEALING OILS ! WE HAVE THE MASTER PHYSICIAN ! WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO RECEIVE JESUS IN THE EUCHARIST ! WE ARE SUPPOSED TO BE THE HEART AND HANDS OF JESUS TO THE WORLD ! (Sorry for the yelling...I get emotional about this stuff! LOL !)

We have it all. We are born in this time in history for a reason. Let us then all fall down in prayer before Jesus and surrender ourselves to Him and let him fill our hearts and empower us, and send us, and anoint us, and use us.

We don't have to live in this culture of death if we bring it into the light, and let Jesus transform it.

Anyway, these are my thoughts tonight. They sound loud and extreme, but this is how strongly I am feeling about things in our world tonight.

We have to step out in faith and somehow, even in a very very small way, we have to make a difference in this time in history.....

"Where sin abounds, grace abounds all the more".....SO LET'S SURRENDER AND GET BUSY ! There is a world out there that needs us to tell them about Jesus.

Sigh.....I sure hope someone is out there reading this and agreeing with me ! :)