Why You Must Make Time for Your Spiritual Life - According to St Peter

After our little pep talk last time about why you need to make time for your spiritual life, we turn now to St Peter. In 1 Peter, 2, 1-10. The man whom Our Blessed Lord called the rock upon which He would build His Church places our spiritual life front and center. He reminds us why we need to cultivate the life of the spirit in order to attain salvation. Yes, Our Blessed Lord died so that we might live. But to be saved, to live in eternal happiness with Him in Heaven, we must grow here and now, while we live on this earth, in our spiritual life. Taking care of business, fulfilling our duties scrupulously, avoiding "big" sins - these aren't enough. Below we see what St Peter says. Do yourself a favor and read his word carefully, reflect on them, and see to it that you put your spiritual life front and center every day.

First, he prepares us with an exhortation to turn our attention and actions from the typical thoughts and behavior that all too often characterize the way most of us live our lives:

Beloved: Lay aside therefore all malice, and all deceit, and pretense, and envy, and all slander.

Now he tells us why it's important to grow in our spiritual lives, followed by exactly what we need to do:

Crave, as newborn babes, pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow to salvation; if, indeed, you have tasted that the Lord is sweet.

We do know the Lord is "sweet," don't we? Knowing this, here's what we must do each day:

Draw near to Him, a living stone, rejected indeed by men but chosen and honored by God. Be you yourselves as living stones, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. Hence Scripture says, "Behold, I lay in Sion a chief cornerstone, chosen, precious; and he who believes in it shall not be put to shame."

We draw close to him in our spiritual sacrifices. What are these spiritual sacrifices? Many things. A few examples: our prayers, spiritual reading, studying our Faith so that we may live it more fully, sanctifying our work throughout the day. These set us apart from those who would reject Christ, or who are simply indifferent towards Him. The honor of being a "living stone" of His Church is reserved for you. Christ Himself is the cornerstone: "a stone which the builders rejected, the same has become the head of the corner," To those who do not believe Christ is "a stumbling-stone, and a rock of scandal."

We who do not reject Him, who believe, and further, who grow in our spiritual life day by day, stand together, arm in arm, the Body of Christ:

You, however are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a purchased people; that you may proclaim the perfections of Him Who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light. You who in times past were not a people, but are now the people of God; who had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.

From the mouth of St Peter to God's ears - and ours.

Next time we look at a practical "Guide" that will help us know our Faith better, to grow in that Faith, to stand together as Catholic men....

Happy Easter!