Is your spiritual house in order? If there are things you need to fix or change in your life, now is a really good time to do that.
That’s because right now is an important time of faith and renewal for millions of people around the world. For my Jewish friends, Passover, which commemorates the Israelites’ liberation from slavery and their exodus from Egypt, begins Wednesday evening (April 5) and ends the evening of April 13. This week also happens to be Holy Week for Christians. The celebration of the Passion of Christ began on Sunday with Palm Sunday and ends on April 8, Holy Saturday, the day before Easter.
Let’s take a little time today to reflect on our spiritual life.
Just three short months ago, I wrote, as I often do in January, about the promise and promises of a brand-new year. I know many of us resolved to do things better, to be better people. We were in a hopeful frame of mind. Some of us set healthy goals. Others resolved to be more present for those we love. Many of us vowed to act out our faith in daily life; we aimed to walk the talk.
So, how’s that going for you?
I hear people talk about their desire to attend church or synagogue services. As life continues to return to normal after the worst of the pandemic, we are still craving companionship, fellowship, togetherness. Remember the loneliness and detachment of those Zoom church services? Having lived through that, many of us have a new resolve to focus on our faith.
But then we get busy and distracted. We let life’s “swarm” get in the way of embracing and enjoying our faith. The clear goals set back in January are now merely a passing thought for many.
It’s a proven fact that outer order leads to inner calm. In other words, an uncluttered space leads to a better place. Look around and decide what’s in your way. Do you need to take out some trash?
I mean that literally and metaphorically.
I once heard my priest, during mass, challenge us to “let go of all of the garbage” in our lives. It’s far too easy to let the day-to-day “stuff” distract us from having a better, more rewarding life—spiritual and otherwise. It’s the garbage—the useless stuff, actual and perceived—that keeps us from focusing on what really matters.
Let this important, faith-filled week reignite your desire for a more spiritual life.
Let go of what is not serving you. Do you need to stop dwelling on the past? Should you forgive someone? Do you need to kick some unhealthy habits? Are you angry? Resentful?
That’s the kind of trash that needs to go out!
You deserve better. You deserve peace. Believe me when I say that the good stuff is in front of you! Make sure you have room for it.
I challenge you to renew your resolution for a better, more faithful life. That starts when you clean up your house, when you declutter, when you throw out the trash that might be holding you back. Start fresh. This could be a big week for you. It could set the tone for the entire rest of this year.