This past week has been interesting for me, at least spiritually speakin. Socially well lets just say my social life is as exciting as watching paint dry. However, a thought popped into my head today while I was eating lunch and I thought I would share.
So like many things in life if you want to succeed its all about knowing the right people.Whether it is business or friends knowing people is important. We have all heard the phrase "its all about who you know" well this phrase couldnt be more true about everything...and yes i mean EVERYTHING, even becoming a saint.
Why was Solomon so wise? When God appeared to Solomon and said he could have anything he wanted Solomon asked for one thing. To know God. Now when we think of knowing someone we think of things like the persons favorite color or movie, or what kind of foods they like or dislike, or if these jeans really do make their butt look big. However, in Hebrew the word Know means to be intimate with. Like when the Gabriel told Mary she would conceive a child her response was "how can this be , since I know no man" (Luke 1:34). Now we read this and think well wait, she had to know some guy i mean she was betrothed to Joseph. Again, this is true however, it is not the word know a we know it. What Mary is really is saying is "I have not been intimate with a man". So if you trace the word know back its origin you will find that it means to be intimate with. So when Solomon wished to "know" God he meant he wanted to be intimate with him.
The most important part of our lives as Catholics is to Know God. To be intimate with him on every level. Intimacy isnt just witheld for sex. Intimacy is something that happens on multiple levels. The only problem is that society has equated intimacy with sex. While there is sexual intmacy, the two are very different. Intimacy at the very basic level is being so close to somebody or something that you are connected on a powerful level. The saints werent saints because they were good people. They were saints because of the intimate relationship with God, because above all else they strived to Know God.
There are so many ways that we can Know God and the most apparent are through the Sacraments, particulary the sacrament of Reconciliation and Holy Communion. The first one teaches us of God's infinite mercy, the other his infinite love for us. When we receive Commuion we are receiving the body, blood, soul and divinity of our lord Jesus Christ. What better place to start than right there after you receive Jesus in the sacrament?
Often times we take the Sacrament for granted, we dont understand really what is going on, we just sorta go through the motions because thats what we are taught. But if you want to be a Saint and I truly hope you do the first thing you should do is start to Know God. If this is a struggle fear not! The best place to start is crack open the bible or read about the saints. Dont forget while they were great heros of faith they were also human to, and they all made mistakes, but God uses their mistakes to help us, the future church to learn to run to God when we mess up so we can get back up again.
Remember if you Know the right people, then you will stay on the right path.
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