I found Christ; Have you? Look he is closer than you think!

I found Christ; Have you?

A question that can have everlasting implications to one or all.  It begins at birth and remains until death in the hearts of those who hear about Christ and seek his love.  What is this love that he promised to anyone who would believe in what the Cross and Crucifixion is all about?  

It isn’t just a thought that we learned about in catechism classes or our parents tried to implant within our wandering minds.  As each one grows with more than religious ideals our minds can become crowded with controversies that might push the spiritual emphasis out or place them into our memory bank for future reasoning.

Think back to the words of Jesus regarding answers to prayer; “Knock and the door will be opened to you;”  (Mt 7: 7).  But think for a moment that the Lord is knocking to come into your dwelling, namely your heart.  Can you name a time when you heard a knock but passed it off as just a passing fancy?  One night as I was contemplating the sound of a knock interrupted my thoughts and I asked, “who’s there?”  It hit me that it was the Lord attempting to enter into my thoughts and prepare me for a further mission in his name.  If you have had a similar experience then you’ll realize Jesus is attempting to rouse up a new mission for you to consider.   However, we usually discover that when he calls, through a knock or an inspiration, he already has the mission ready for us to accept and follow the path the Holy Spirit is preparing us for.

Whenever the Lord, through his Spirit, is ready to send us forth, it may not be the final landing point for ministry.  Usually it might very well be a stepping stone for the next task he is preparing us to enter.  When I was just a novice entering Church organizations such as Holy Name Society and St Vincent De Paul the feeling was I had arrived at my position as a volunteer.  When the diaconate opened in our diocese it became apparent that even though we think this last assignment is our final trek in the Church, the Holy Spirit has another step for us to accept.  

Hospital ministry and working with Women in Early Recovery seemed to be my most precious ministries some years back in my early years as a deacon.  However, since then I discovered that Gid had other plans for me and I have graduated into more required areas of reaching out to those who need evangelized.  Whenever you are called to change your direction in ministry be assured the Lord is using your experience and faith to move ahead as Jesus told his followers; “well done good and faithful servant, now here is a task that requires a more seasoned success for you to follow.”  You have proven to the Lord that you are ready to undertake more needed responsibilities to reach those that the Holy Spirit is sending to you.  (Mt 25: 23).

As mentioned before, there was a future deacon in Midland, Texas that the Holy Spirit wanted to send as a minister to certain persons.  However, he wasn’t aware of the future call.  I was searching for full-time ministry and my resume’ was picked up by St. Ann’s parish in Midland, Texas.  Fast forward several years I spoke with Mike and he told me because of my ministry as a deacon he went into ministry as a deacon himself.  He related it was my ministry that inspired him to choose the permanent diaconate, not realizing that my short term in Midland, Texas was the move by the Holy Spirit to accomplish the ultimate fulfillment of reaching an unknown soul living in Midland, Texas.  So never bemoan the unexpected challenge the Lord calls us to accept and may send us on a journey in our own diocese or across the country.  This is the answer to, “I found Christ; Have you?

Ralph B. Hathaway