Cathy Peacock

Pope Francis asks us to seek, or at least be open to, a personal encounter with Jesus Christ every 24-hour interval. What does that mean to you personally?

I believe God longs to reveal himself, and specially his immeasurable love and mercy, to anybody on earth. He longs to have a personal relationship and guide each one of us throughout our journey hither. Merely he won't force us to seek him. He has given u.s.a. the swell gift of free volition.

The stories I share in this column depict individuals' personal experience of God'south love. Openness to the personal experience of his love and belief in his divine intervention are both predicated on very important presumptions of organized religion: God loves usa as nosotros are and meets united states of america where we are.

We are non expected to be perfect before we approach God in prayer, seeking a personal relationship with him. Rather, he wants us to seek his presence, beloved and guidance in the midst of our very own brokenness.

If we come to him in true humility, revealing all of our flaws and weaknesses, it is only then that the veil can exist lifted and God's love can penetrate our centre.

"God longs to shower us with signs of his love and affection!" St. Teresa of Avila uses these exact words in her depiction of the spiritual journeying of the man soul in her tremendous literary work, "The Interior Castle."

The soul is tormented with many earthly distractions preventing u.s.a. from seeing who nosotros are: about beloved children of the Most High God! Material distractions are just part of what prevents u.s.a. from experiencing the joy of knowing Christ every 24-hour interval.

In a fallen world where judgment and accusation reign over love and mercy, it is understandable that many people cannot imagine a God who "is" love, and who is waiting, longing for us to turn to him, so that he tin share his love, heal our wounds and guide us in our earthly journey so that nosotros can become all that we are created to be.

I am using this month's cavalcade to urge all of you to share the truths that are stated here. We all need to open our eyes, ears, hearts and minds to the many means God might be trying to speak to us. He loves us all and we are all expert plenty to experience a joy-filled, loving personal relationship with him.

In working to gather stories of religion to share, I've spoken with many good, religion-based people who don't know that God longs for us to turn to Him and so he can share his love and guide u.s. in our journey, here. They may believe God is more eminent than immanent.

I spent much of my before life in this mindset. Prior to my own faith experiences in my thirties, I was a cradle Catholic, simply only knew God from a distance and was unsure of his beloved. I feared a judgmental God growing up.

If asked, I would have responded, "Why would God always desire to reveal himself to me?"

After dear friends and witnesses shared their personal religion stories with me (specifically telling of Christ'southward love) and helped me to run across how Christ was moving in my life, my eyes were opened and I was permanently changed. I did seek a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

I brought all my brokenness in prayer and asked for his help. I was amazed at how apace he acted on my behalf! I continued to recognize his loving acts in my life and became filled with wonder and awe. What a blessed time in my life. I am even so amazed by his kindness and loving acts.

Sharing our organized religion stories tin open a person'due south heart to the wonder of God'south mighty love and lead that person to a new human relationship with God.

Delight share your faith experience and help others draw closer to God.

Send your faith stories now to joyofknowing@gmail.com. You practise not need to write out your complete story. Please simply transport a brief summary and I will contact you near the details. I'll print as many stories as I can.

Whether yous have a life-transforming witness story, an "aha" moment of God'due south divine providence, i personal experience of Christ's dear, or several examples of how Jesus Christ communicates with you every twenty-four hour period, please send a few sentences nearly your faith story to joyofknowing@gmail.com. Thank you then much!

Please share this article and previous faith stories on social media, below. Atomic number 82 others to the joy of knowing God!

Let'southward share our joy of knowing God
 When they needed the right words, Holy Spirit delivered
 When God speaks to our center, nosotros are forever changed

***

Cathy Peacock holds an Yard.A. in theology, is a certified public auditor and a member of St. Isaac Jogues Parish, Wayne.