March 5, 1998

Romans 5: 1-5

Faith Through Christ

Justification through faith, perseverance of this faith through difficult times and the kindling of the fire that burns in our hearts.

These are phrases we have all heard many times and most of us believe them . . . to a degree.

The peace of God, which we strive for, is also sometimes difficult to grasp when we are weighted down with our daily burdens of life.

We do not achieve the kind of faith Paul is discussing through our own efforts; we must understand faith is a gift of the Holy Spirit. We can open our hearts and provide for it fertile soil in which it may grow and flourish. We must persevere by daily coming before our Lord with open and penitent hearts.

Only in this way can we begin to enjoy the peace of God.

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Prayer: Father, forgive us for trying to be faithful by our own devices. Open our hearts and fan the flames of love and hope that you put there. Amen [Yesterday |Lenten Index | Tomorrow]