Our Immortal Souls

Our Immortal Souls
 

By Thomas Stidl

         Our souls are sparks from the fire of God.  We have a beginning.  Our beginning is at our conception; God imparted into our forming bodies his spark of life.  How do we nurture that spark?  As all of us know, we are born with original sin on our souls.  When we are baptized, the stain of original sin is removed so that we become a small flame.  Unfortunately, the original sin that has been removed has left us with a weakness to seek sinful pleasures.

         As we mature, we learn to pray.  Each time we pray selflessly, that small flame grows a little larger.  Constant prayer keeps the flame growing.  When we sin, the flame gets smaller until we right ourselves in God’s love.  When we perform acts of kindness and forgiveness, the flame grows.

         When we receive the sacraments of the Church and attend Mass, the flame grows more rapidly allowing us to do more acts of kindness and forgiveness.  These actions keep the flame growing so that it engulfs our entire being.  When we receive the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist, the True Presence of Jesus, we become what we consume.  He becomes part of our being.  He changes and shapes us to go into the whole world to preach the Good News by our thoughts, words, and actions.

         When we fall through sin, weakness, and only think of our selves, the flame gets smaller.  Seeking forgiveness from God and neighbor restores the flame.  Receiving the Eucharistic Presence of Jesus along with all our righteous deeds helps us to grow in his Holiness.  Please remember dear reader, that our righteous deeds are only made possible by the grace of almighty God and our correct decision to follow through on that grace.  Our righteous deeds are rags compared to the deeds of God.  We must also accept his atoning blood sacrifice on the cross for our salvation.

         We are all the dust of the ground.  It is only when we cooperate with God’s grace, both Sanctifying and Actual, that our deeds become pleasing to God.  This will determine the quantity of future crowns that we will wear.

         Then comes the end of our human life and that spark which became a flame after proper nurturing returns to God for judgment.  What will God say to us?  He gave us talents.  Did we develop them and add more talents to the ones he gave us?  If the answer is yes, we will be united with Him forever only to retrieve our bodies at the end of time.  Then we will live with him forever in Paradise.  We will be his children and He will be our God.

         If you did not add any talents a different fate awaits you.  So friends while there is time please add more talents so that the answer will be yes as stated in the above paragraph.

         Until next time, Laus Tibi, Christe.  Deo Gratias.  Praise be to God.  See you in Paradise.