Be intentional about your love of the Lord

With the coming of the month of September, we experience changes that we come to depend on in our daily lives. The weather begins to change; our daily work schedules become more stable and constant; school schedules resume and take on a certain continuity, at least from Monday to Friday; and our daily lives of faith expressed by personal prayer, Mass and confession, and the practice of the works of mercy become more regular. All of this is good but is there anything that remains constant in our lives?
 
The answer to that question is a resounding “yes.” The constant in our lives is the presence of the Lord and His grace. Whether or not we are fully conscious of His presence, the Lord is there, and He is with us. Whether or not we speak with Him in our prayer, He is offering us in the events and persons of our day opportunities for grace.

What is all this leading to? When we settle back into a good routine for our day, we need to include consciously the Lord and not just take Him for granted. That means we set aside some time for our personal prayer and meditation. That means we make a conscious effort to attend Mass on Sunday and during the week. That means we make and keep a regular day each month for the reception of the sacrament of penance. In other words, we commit ourselves to a permanent change in how we live and strengthen the gift of faith received in baptism.
 
Let me offer a suggestion now that we have moved into the phase of our Eucharistic Revival calling us to be Eucharistic disciples and missionaries. If we take our faith seriously then we make the Holy Eucharistic the center and most important moment in our lives. This takes real effort, but it is so worth that effort. I have found the best way to make this happen is to set aside some time on a regular basis to visit Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament. It may be five minutes, or it may be 30 minutes, but do this with faith and conviction. It may take the form of being at adoration or just stopping by the church, kneeling before Him in the tabernacle, and allowing His presence to overshadow you.
 
In other words, be intentional about your love of the Lord by living with Him. Imitate Our Blessed Mother and St. Joseph who made Jesus the center of their lives, whether in Nazareth or at Calvary. As they lived with and for Him, so can we do the same. We do this out of our love for and devotion and fidelity to the Most Holy Eucharist.