The life of grace

 

Hopefully, we all want to live good lives.  We all want to make a difference in our world and in the lives of others for the common good.  But I think the fundamental question we must ask is how do we do this?  It’s not so much a matter of choosing the good actions we do; rather, on a more basic and fundamental level, we must choose to live a life grounded in Christ, thus becoming a “good tree.”  “A good tree does not bear rotten fruit, nor does a rotten tree bear good fruit.” [Luke 6:39-45]

If we want to bear good fruit and make a holy and positive difference in the world, we need to do one primary thing—work at becoming holy.  To use the image that Jesus gave us, we must imagine ourselves as a tree that’s planted in the ground, our roots stretching far and wide; see ourselves being nourished and basked in the Sun, growing and flourishing.

This is the life of grace, and the effect is that good fruit automatically comes forth.  The life of grace is accomplished by focusing upon our own health and spiritual well-being.  We become this “good tree” by doing the basics well.  First, through prayer, praying well and praying hard, our life centered in prayer.  Second, by learning the faith.  Listening to the Gospels, learning all that God has revealed through the Church, reading the teachings of the saints, and learning from other holy people.  Third, living a good sacramental life.  Going to Mass, celebrating the Sacrament of Reconciliation, understanding the grace of our Baptism, Confirmation, Marriage, Ordination, etc.  Knowing that the Sacraments nourish us in powerful ways and embracing that nourishment with our whole heart.

We’ve been given an important mission to go forth and to bear an abundance of good fruit in our world [Mark 16:15].  This mission can be accomplished only as a result of a life of holiness.  This holiness is only accomplished when our roots are firmly grounded in the life of grace.  If we embrace this life of grace through the many means that God has set before us, we’ll discover that the commitment we make to holiness will bring health not only to our own soul, but also to the souls of those whom God will touch through us.