New Life in Christ  March 2008

By Mary Lou Rosien

Lately, I hunger for new life. Things have seemed stale, difficult, and laborious for me. My family has been struggling with issues, our parish school has been slated to close, my friends are needing support. There are so many difficulties all around us that is easy to lose our way. The temptation towards despair is great and giving into the suffering is simple compared to fighting our way out.

Easter reminds us that there is new life in Christ. We are new creations in Him. He can make us beautiful, whole, even uncluttered. How do we reconcile what we feel inside with this promise of new life? I can empathize with Mother Theresa’s struggle. The struggle between what I know and love in my heart and what I feel as I trudge through life wanting some Divine consolation.

In, The Introduction to the Devout Life , by Frances de Sales, we are encouraged to turn our charity into passion. To do this, we need to look at what stands between us and the passion for Our Lord, then cut it away. We need to have the courage to look at our lives as a surgeon would look at our body; To remove what comes between us and the Lord just as the surgeon would remove a cancer.

I find, for myself, that one of my ‘cancers’ is losing sight of the big picture. When the moment-to-moment of parenting or teaching seems treacherous and too agonizing to continue, I have often lost sight of the goal. This goal is to get these young souls to heaven. If they were filthy and needed a bath, I would give them one despite their complaints. Why then, do I find it so difficult to steady myself against their complaints when it comes to other areas of their lives that affect their spiritual cleanliness? I am discouraged because I have lost sight of this important mission entrusted to me. Cutting out this fault can help me have new life.

Increasing in prayerfulness can also move me towards new life in Christ. If I didn’t speak to my husband for days or even weeks, I wouldn’t feel connected to my spouse. I wouldn’t be encouraged, or feel loved. I would not know my spouse and I may even feel less love towards him. If I tend my marriage with care and conversation, I will have a better marriage. If I tend my relationship with my Savior I will feel closer to Him. I will feel my love for Him grow. I will have new life in Him.

Gentle Reader, have a blessed and beautiful Easter and I pray for you to have new life in Christ this season. God bless you.

Mary Lou Rosien writes from North Chili, NY.  She is the author of Managing Stress with the Help of Your Catholic Faith (OSV Publishing).  Write to her at mrosien@rochester.rr.com.