Pastor's Points: Change

Pastor's Points: Change

One of my nieces, Erin, is 7 years old. She does not like change very much. For a while now, her mom has been trying to get Erin to stop using her toddler bed, which is way too small for her. She curls up in it with her stuffed animals and there is not much room to spare. On a recent weekend, though, my sister Susan pulled off a bit of a miracle and was able to transform Erin’s room into a “big girl’s room,” complete with a bigger bed. Erin is adapting to the change without too much trauma.

Some of us like change, some of us do not. We are in that time of year when the leaves are falling from the trees and we are using our jackets a little more. You can tell that “change is in the air.”  

Change comes to us in different ways. Sometimes life throws us a curveball and we wind up having to adapt to a “new normal.” There can be a job change or we may have to move to a new and unfamiliar place. 

Change is part of the spiritual life as well. In the Sacrament of Reconciliation, I talk to people a lot about the need for change and conversion. We are on a pilgrimage in this life that hopefully will lead us one day to share eternal life with our God. We have to take care of the soul as we walk this path, and that means looking deep within ourselves to see how change is necessary in our own life. This is never an easy thing: to try and bring about true and substantial change in our life. But it is part of our calling as disciples. Imagine how radically different life was for the first followers of Christ when they took the plunge and out in faith and follow the Messiah. He called them to a totally new way of life. Jesus continues to call us to a life of change, a life of conversion, a life where we seek to mold ourselves into the image of the Christ.

As we move through this month of changing leaves and temperatures, think about what kind of change is necessary in our own life. What is that one thing that needs to look different by the time November comes?  Pray that the Lord will touch your heart as you seek true change.