Motivational Seminars | On Being A Competent Christian
Msgr. Thomas J. McDonnell, who died in June 2009, was for many years a regular columnist for the Reporter newspapers. Following is an essay wherein he defines what he believed to be a competent Christian lifestyle.
During the past two years, I have been invited to participate in various capacities in motivational seminars. Most of them have centered on what we might term as secular topics. Certain constants are part of these presentations. Enthusiasm, a sensitivity toward co-workers, a feeling for economic trends, knowledge of new techniques, and so forth are part of the agenda. But above all, competency is emphasized; it is seen as essential for growth.
 Addiction Free Forever Program.Is alcohol or drug use badly affecting your life or someone’s life who you care about?The Addiction Free Forever Program is guaranteed to show how to permanently end an alcohol or drug problem and have a deeply fulfilling life naturally… It’s not realistic to expect someone to permanently “say no to drugs” unless they have something better to say “yes” to… Read More: Visit Publisher Site |
In my mind, I began to think of the role of what we might term as “Christian competency” has in our own lives. Very little is written about it. And since acquiring it is a lifelong process, I do not believe we can propose an adequate and comprehensive definition. On the other hand, we can highlight certain characteristics that would be integral to developing a competent Christian life-style.
We might begin by focusing upon the words of St. Paul: “Have in you the mind of Jesus Christ?” For this intimacy and familiarity with Christ is demanded. And this demands prayer ” indeed long extended periods of prayer. But at the outset, we should note that sometimes our pursuit of a deeper prayer-life can prove to be an obstacle. No one seems to be listening:
I turned to speak to God about the world’s despair,
And much to my surprise, I found that God wasn’t there.
Such were the feelings of Robert Frost. In an analogous way, the seeming silence of God, and things like disappointment in not being granted our wishes, can lead us to doubt the effectiveness of prayer. Thus there is the temptation to abandon the practice of prayer altogether, or at least not to pursue it with deep conviction and passion.
It has been my experience that the very practice of prayer in such circumstances is in itself a prayer that is pleasing to God. And there are other circumstances that may hinder our pursuit of a deeper prayer-life, e.g. illness. In these cases, one might consider making one’s bodily being a prayer.
There are in every life so many
Click here to view read this article on the original site
|
|
|
|
|
