Our Journey of Faith: Walk with God - Not Someday but Today

 

readings/090625 

There is never an ideal time to begin.
We wait for clarity.
We wait for calm.
We wait for the perfect moment—
and sometimes, we wait ourselves right out of the call.

But faith doesn’t wait.
Grace doesn’t wait.
God doesn’t wait for us to be ready.
He moves in the moment we’re in.

To walk with God is to step into the now.
Living in that moment is an act of courage.
Acting in the moment is boldness.
The moment—however imperfect—is holy ground.

Saint Paul writes to the Colossians:

“You once were alienated… hostile in mind… because of evil deeds.”
But Christ didn’t wait for us to clean up our act.
He reconciled us—in the flesh, through death—
to present us holy, without blemish, irreproachable before God.
Not someday.
Not eventually.
Now.

This is the rhythm of grace:
God acts.
God invites.
God walks with us in the middle of our mess.
And so we walk with Him.
Not when it’s convenient.
Not when we feel worthy.
But now.

In the Gospel, Jesus walks through a field on the sabbath.
His disciples are hungry.
They pick grain, rub it in their hands, and eat.
The Pharisees object—“Why are you doing what is unlawful?”

But Jesus doesn’t scold.
He reminds.
He points to David, who fed his companions with sacred bread.
And then he says something bold:

“The Son of Man is lord of the sabbath.”

In other words:
The law serves love.
The sabbath serves mercy.
And the moment—however imperfect—is holy ground.

So we act.
We speak.
We serve.
We forgive.
We create.
We love.

With a certain reckless abandon, we do what should be done.
Because you just never know what folks don’t know—
what hunger they carry,
what grief they hide,
what hope they’ve nearly lost.

And you may be the one to feed them.
Not with perfection, but with presence.
Not with answers, but with love.

This is our journey of faith.
This is our walk with God.
Not someday.
But today.

Prayer: “Grace in the Now”

Lord of the sabbath,
Lord of the moment,
You do not wait for perfect conditions—
You meet us in the mess,
You call us in the hunger,
You walk with us in the now.

Teach us to trust Your timing,
to act with holy courage,
to love with bold mercy.
Let us not wait ourselves out of the call,
but step forward—
with faith, with grace, with You.

 Amen.

Our Spiritual Journey: A Walk with God - Worn-Out Shoes and New Wine

readings/090525 

When I was a child, we didn’t have much.
Money was tight. Choices were few.
But we took care of each other.
We made small sacrifices—quiet ones.
We shared what we had. We made it work.

Later, when my wife and I got married,
the struggle didn’t end.
I worked hard. But no matter what I did,
I couldn’t seem to get ahead.
I felt stuck—like I was sinking.

Then I chose a different light—
not the spotlight of success,
but the steady flame of Christ.

Today, by God’s grace,
those worries are behind me.
But some habits remain.
I still wear my old shoes—
soles worn thin, on some, sides blown out.
They’re comfortable.
They’ve carried me through.

And my wife says,
“I shouldn’t wear those shoes.”
She’s right.
Not because of how they look—
but because they remind me
of how long I tried to carry myself.

This isn’t a prosperity gospel.
It’s a surrender gospel.
When I stopped depending on myself,
when I let go of what the world expected,
and gave myself fully to Jesus—
everything changed.

Christ became my center.
My light. My guide.
He holds all things together.
He leads me into new life.

But it’s hard to let go of the old shoes.
The ones that feel familiar.
The ones that tell the story of survival.

Yet Jesus says,
“New wine must be poured into fresh wineskins.”
He doesn’t patch the old.
He makes all things new.

So I ask myself—
What else am I still wearing
that no longer fits the walk?

And maybe you’re asking too.

Prayer: A New Walk with Christ

Lord Jesus,
You’ve carried me through worn-out seasons—
through struggle and scarcity in worldliness.
But now You call me to walk in newness,
to lay down what no longer fits the journey.

You are my light, my guide,
the One who holds all things together.
Shape me into a vessel for Your new wine.
Let me walk not by habit, but by grace.

Amen.

The Rhythm of Grace: A Reflection on Faithful Walking

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Yesterday was a day of quiet remembering.
I marked the anniversary of my father’s death.
And I buried a dear friend—97 years old.
It struck me: I knew her longer than I knew my father.
Two lives. Two legacies.
One short, one long.
Both marked by faith.

At adoration that evening, I sat with this.
And a quiet truth rose in my heart:
The importance of a good foundation.
How the little things of every day—
The prayers, the kindness, the steady presence—
Are not small at all.
They are the stones on which grace is built.
And they lead us to thankfulness.

My father’s faith was quiet, steady.
My friend’s life was long, prayerful.
Neither sought attention.
But both taught me the same lesson:
We must faithfully do what we must.
We must faithfully do all we can.

St. Thérèse of Lisieux called this the “Little Way”—
Doing small things with great love,
Trusting God.  

She reminds us that holiness is not found in greatness,
But in surrender.

Saint Paul writes to the Colossians:
“Walk in a manner worthy of the Lord” (Col 1:10).
Not sprint. Not strive.
But walk—step by step,
Rooted in wisdom,
Bearing fruit,
Growing in the knowledge of God.

This is the rhythm of grace.
God moves first.
We respond.
We are transformed—
Not by effort,
But by trust.

In Luke’s Gospel, Simon Peter is weary.
His nets are empty.
But Jesus steps into his boat.
He teaches. He calls.
“Put out into deep water” (Lk 5:4).

Simon obeys.
And the nets overflow.
He falls to his knees:
“Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man” (Lk 5:8).
But Jesus stays.
“Do not be afraid.
From now on, you will be catching men” (Lk 5:10).

This is the paradox of faith:
God meets us in our emptiness.
And our small obedience
Opens the door to His abundance.

We are invited to find God in all things—
In grief and in friendship,
In prayer and in daily work,
In empty nets and overflowing boats.

So today, I walk.
Not quickly. Not perfectly.
But faithfully.

Because the little way—
The way of prayer, presence, and surrender—
Is becoming the big way of my life.

And in this quiet, steady walk,
We are made fit to share
In the inheritance of the saints in light (Col 1:12).
Delivered from darkness,
Transferred into the kingdom of His beloved Son (Col 1:13).

Let us walk,
Step by faithful step,
Knowing that our quiet obedience
Is the very foundation
Of a life filled with grace.

---

Prayer: Walking in Grace

Lord Jesus,
Teach us to walk in Your rhythm,
Step by faithful step,
Rooted in love,
Bearing fruit that lasts.

Let our daily surrender
Be the soil of grace.
And may our walk
Lead us deeper into Your heart.

Like St. Thérèse,
May we trust You in the small things,
And find holiness in hidden acts of love.

Amen.