Sunday and the Interior Life

During the week, we've been having an extended discussion about the Interior Life. It's the greatest tool we have to work our way through this C-Virus world mess. 

But it's so much more than a tool to cope with this mess. The Interior Life will be where we meet God, where we grow closer to God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit - along with the Father and the Son - dwells within us, as long as we're in a state of sanctifying grace. And the Interior Life will help us remain in that state. It's our bulwark against the subtle incursions and outright attacks of the world, the flesh, and the Devil.

What better time than Sunday to meditate on and strengthen our Interior Life?

One of the benefits of the current mess - at least for me - has been an increase in time spent on and attention given to my Interior Life. For weeks on end there were no Masses in our diocese. No sacraments either. Sunday, however, remained Sunday - the Lord's Day. By the grace of God, fresh uncommitted time was being given to us - time we may not have had in normal times. 

God gave us not only time, but opportunity. During those first months, everything was locked down. So no shuttling kids to sports; no shopping; for most of us no visiting friends or relatives. Weekend warriors had to make due without gyms. Many parks were closed. Beaches too. So we were mostly "stuck" indoors - day after day. And when Sunday rolled around, same deal - but with the difference that Sunday remained the Sabbath, the Lord's Day.

And despite the mess swirling around us, it may have occurred to us to take some of our "found" time on Sunday and set it aside for God. Of course, that's what we should always be doing. But many of us haven't been so faithful here. Not good; then again, our fallen human nature can get the best of us in the best of times.

But God works in funny ways. If that fallen human nature undercut our spiritual life during the best of times, maybe that same nature - despite being fallen - could grasp and seize the opportunity before us: time to spend with God; time to build and strengthen our Interior Life.

And if we did grasp and seize that opportunity, maybe a new habit was formed - one we should have always had. 

Deo gratias!

We could maybe carve out time to meditate - to simply spend time in silence with the Lord. 

We could maybe take time to read our good Catholic spiritual works more deeply.

We could read Scripture and study our Catholic religion. 

Maybe we already do this each morning during the week. But now, on Sunday, we don't have the same work and personal obligations to attend to. We have more time.

Again, this should have been, should always be, the way of life on Sunday. Not that we wake up and just pray and meditate from morning until evening. But instead of an addendum or an after-thought, maybe our spiritual life takes center stage. That's frankly where it belongs every day. But, again, we're not perfect. Our fallen human nature has so many ways to distract us.

This Sunday, we're taking that time given to us by God these recent months. That time has been and will continue to be filled more bounteously with our efforts to grow closer to God. And isn't that the whole purpose of our lives?

Talk about starting the week off right: Don't you think His grace that will spill over into Monday and beyond? Our prayer life will increase. We'll find time to spend in quiet meditation. 

And those of us who aren't sure about what the Interior Life is, it's purpose, it's importance, well, we can bone up on that and give ourselves a kick in the butt to get to work on building and strengthening it. 

You might consider reading our recent weekly posts to get your traction here, if you think you need it. Or you could simply read the great work we recently found that brings the Interior Life to life: The Soul of the Apostolate by Dom Jean-Baptiste Chautard.

Whatever you decide to do, do decide. Take the gift of time God has given us. Seize this opportunity to build and strengthen your Interior Life.