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The Path to a Better Life
Life is a difficult journey. We need a path to follow.
Surrender your life to Christ
The basis of our faith
Roadblocks along the path
Live life to the fullest
Commit your life to Christ
When you commit your life to Christ it is not a one-time decision. Each day, resolve to love Him and to follow Him.
If you have never known Jesus, if your relationship with Him has grown cold or if you have seriously messed up your life, then start here:
Prayer of Surrender
Jesus I am sorry for the many times I have offended You. I now turn away from my sins and turn to You. Please come into my heart and be the Lord of my life. I recognize You as my Lord and Savior. Please fill me with Your Holy Spirit. Thank You Jesus.
Remove the obstacles to a closer union
with Jesus
After you have identified the roadblock, then take steps to get rid of it. This can be a life-long process. The forces that try to separate us from Jesus never completely go away until we die.
Suggestion: Ask the Holy Spirit to help you overcome the roadblocks along the path to a closer union with Jesus. Discover attitudes or situations that cause problems. Avoid them. Stop giving in to them.
Read the Bible every day
The New Testament remains the richest source for our meditations. Read a page or a chapter daily and reflect on the words. The resulting thoughts will have a profound effect on the way you think and act. Focus on the New Testament, but also read Psalms, Book of Wisdom, and Ecclesiastic.
Suggestion: Memorize passages that have special meaning for you. They will help you get through difficult times along the path of your life.
Be aware of Christ’s presence — He is always with you
Be aware of God’s presence. In times of trouble remember that Jesus is very near. “Do you not know that you are the temple of God and the Spirit of God dwells in you” (ICor. 3: 13).
Suggestion: Talk to Jesus during the day. Praise and thank Him and express your love. Knowing Christ is always present can dramatically change what you say and do.
Reach out to others — your life is not solely
your own
Love is a paradox. The more that you give away, the more that comes back to you. The more you hoard, the less you have. Finding Jesus in other people is not always easy, but then we ourselves are not always lovable. “Love one another as I have loved you” (Jesus Christ).
Suggestion: Give time each week to help people in need. Share your faith with others. Help others by your prayers, financial help and words of encouragement. Let your job title be “Servant of Jesus Christ.”
Be thankful that you have Christ in your life
Be thankful that God, Who created the universe, loves you. Give thanks to Jesus Christ, Who gave His life to free us from our sins. Although we cannot see the road ahead, the Lord is our Shepherd and there is nothing for us to fear. Always and everywhere give thanks to the Lord.
Suggestion: Give thanks for having Jesus in your life and for all He has done for you. Thank the Holy Spirit for the faith that is in you. A strong faith drives out worry and fear. Give thanks for the gray days as well as the sunny days. To everything there is a purpose.
Acknowledge God publicly by going to church
We have a duty to honor God publicly as well as privately. We have an obligation to
come together to publicly honor God, to acknowledge His Goodness and to ask for His
help.
Suggestion: Join a church group. You will meet people who can help you in your
spiritual journey. Receive the Eucharist, Christ’s Body and Blood, as often as possible.
Be happy — Christ is in you and you are in Christ
Following Christ is the foundation of happiness. We don’t have to wait until our
resurrection to be happy. Christ wants us to live life to the fullest.
How can you be unhappy if you truly believe that Jesus loves you and is always with you? Remember Christ’s promise that “whoever loves me will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him” (John 14:23).
Suggestion: Reflect on God’s great love for you. Memorize
Psalm 23,
“The Lord is my Shepherd.” Trust God in good times as well as bad times. Whatever happens, let your heart say The Lord has given, the Lord has taken away.
Praise the Lord. In your daily practice of Quiet Time, include consecration to the Sacred Heart and prayers to the Mother of Jesus. Saying the rosary brings you closer to her Son Jesus.
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