I often preach about the need to have a personal relationship with God. When possible, I try to offer concrete examples of what I mean. To me, a personal relationship is one in which I see myself in dialogue (prayer) with God who knows me personally. By reading and reflecting upon scripture, especially the life of Jesus the Christ, I believe I have a deeper understanding of God and can see how God is instructing me to live my life. In my service to others, especially the poor and vulnerable, I consider it a way of bringing the presence of Jesus to them. Through the celebration of the sacraments with fellow believers (that’s you), I am strengthened by the grace and fellowship we share. These are the ways I have come to understand my personal relationship with God.
At times in my life I can see how I had more of a relationship with the institutional church than with the God who created and sustains me. The institution is necessary of course because Jesus formed a church to keep us all united and to continue spreading the Good News of Jesus to all people in all times. It’s important to keep a personal relationship with God and the institution in balance.
So what is one way you can develop your relationship with God during Lent this year? One thing I want to do is reflect on how Jesus listened to people and try to listen more intently to people myself. Let’s support one another in our endeavor to develop our relationship with God.