theROCK

Change

Are you still scrambling with what to give up for Lent? I decided to give up coffee and 6 hours later found myself unable to do that. Knowing God’s forgiveness, I reflected more on what I need to do that will change my heart. For we know that prayer, fasting and almsgiving is the church’s invitation for us to enter deeply into the mysteries of the suffering, death and resurrection of our Lord. But there is more to just “giving something up.” It is about CHANGE and adopting the life of Christ given to us. 

We see little signs of change in nature: buds on the trees and bulbs beginning to bloom in spring. It’s a reminder for us that new life emerges from the dormancy of darkness. Journeying with the Elect (those to be baptized at the Easter Vigil) and witnessing their change is truly a gift. We see how Christ is active in drawing them to himself; their hearts open for the many God-winks in daily life, their eyes open to see how God is working in their lives, and their ears open to the voice of the  Holy Spirit.

Fr. Dennis said we should not come to Communion unless we want to be changed. As we walk toward the altar to receive Jesus, He enters our lives in a tangible way and changes us into his image. That change may be small but it is effective. What change do we seek? What change do we need?

Prayer allows us to ascend the mountain as Jesus did in the gospel account of the transfiguration and to hear the voice of God. Imagine what it was like for Peter, James and John to witness our Lord’s transfiguration, to reflect on the experience, and later to share it with others after his death. It changed them forever and cemented their deep relationship with Jesus. 

Reflecting on the change we need in our lives, let us think about where we fail. Could it be our judgement of others or harboring grudges? Could it be our selfishness or self-absorption? How effective can we be when we allow the noise of the world to overpower us? Practicing little virtuous habits will result in big changes in our lives.

God chooses to work through us, as flawed as we are, to share Jesus with others. Come away from your busy life and spend some time in prayer, in silence, and encounter the One who loves you unconditionally. Bring your brokenness, your lack of faith or even your sinfulness to Him who wants to change you with his Love. 

On Being Saints

We are called to be saints. To answer that call, we need to redefine what it means to be a person, not by the world’s standards, but by God’s. To be a saint is to be in unity with Christ, the highest call of our lives that requires reordering our life accordingly. As much as we might feel the need to jump to perfection, God doesn’t expect that of us and neither should we. The journey of holiness is taken one step at a time. 

There is so much to say on holiness, so much to say about closeness to Jesus. But it is important to understand: 

Holiness is not primarily something we achieve. Instead, holiness is something God achieves in us.

I used to think that if I just tried harder I would be holier. And to some extent that is true. I need to rearrange my life to make God my priority. I need to actually be the one to keep my mouth closed instead of gossiping or to physically stop myself from sinning. But holiness is a matter of the heart more than anything. And only God can change that.

Our job isn’t to make ourselves holy. Our job is to draw near to Jesus and let Him make us holy.

It’s not about effort. It’s about surrender. We go to Him with a yielded heart, we give Him the time, we invite Him in, and He will do all the work. But you must make the time. You must sit at His feet and let Him transform your heart.

And I promise you, brothers and sisters, you will never look back. You will never regret it. You will never feel like you’ve wasted your time. We were made to be near Him. So especially now, as we approach Christmas, what will it look like for you to draw near to Him? What does it look like for you to approach Him with a yielded heart?

I’m in the journey with you, friends. And I am so very happy to walk with you if you need a companion on the way. Just send me an email and we’ll set up a time to talk. That’s the best part of my job!

Want to talk? Please reach out to me below.

Claire Ziolkowski

From 0 to Canonization

Our primary call is to be saints. How does that make you feel?

Are you pulled to make your kids (or grandkids) your primary vocation? Our love for them is so incredibly strong. I have to check myself daily. They are such amazing creatures, of course we want to make them our everything!

But you know what I have realized in fighting that battle? I am a significantly better mother, better spouse, when I am close to Jesus. I spent the first years of my kids’ lives pouring through parenting books trying to be the best parent in the world and it wasn’t until I gave up that battle and just focused on being close to Jesus that I finally actually achieved my goal – well not perfection, but I think I’m doing okay.

If we were made for unity with Jesus (which is what being a saint is), doesn’t it just make sense that we would be better in all areas of our life the closer we are to Him? Better parents, but also better spouses and better at our jobs, better friends. Jesus is the standard for life. So the closer we are to Him, the more we look like Him, the better we are able to show up for others and ourselves in our own life.

And I’ve got good news for you. No one is expecting you to go from 0 to canonization overnight. Holiness is a journey. Discipleship (the path to holiness) is a journey. And every single journey begins with one single step. So what is it? What is your one step to start with? What is one way you can prioritize your relationship with God over everything else in your life (yes, even your family)? What is one concrete way you can rearrange your life goals to be about holiness aspirations instead of career aspirations?

God is never outdone in generosity. Meaning, no matter how much we give Him, He will always give us infinitely more in return. So rest assured, any sacrifice you make will be returned one hundredfold. Just remember, we were made for union with God. He doesn’t want you near to Him for His sake, but for yours. He is the answer to everything you desire in life. Go to Him and He will give you the desires of your heart (Psalm 37: 4)