How often do you wake up wishing your life was different? Probably more than you care to admit. The good news is that you're not alone. The bad news is that you already know you need to change.
The scary news is that you have to ask yourself: "Do I really want to change?"
Humans are creatures of habit. Patterns are created for us when we're young. As we grow up, we break some of the bad habits we lived at home. Then we pick up a whole new set of bad habits along the way.
This seems like a never-ending process. We damage ourselves. Then we repair ourselves. We damage ourselves. Then we repair ourselves.
We hurt others along the way, too. And, of course, we should do our part to help them heal. But more often than not, we just shrug our shoulders and continue worshipping at the altar of ourselves.
The truth is that we don't have to live that way. We shouldn't live that way.
From the very beginning of Christianity, we tried to learn for ourselves and attempted to teach others about love, mercy, forgiveness, sacrifice, and gratefulness. But we didn't and don't always live up to the promises of Christ and the love of the Holy Spirit.
In fact, knowing ourselves as we do, we realized that even if we have a deeply sacramental life, we still fall short. That's where humility comes in. Like the publican in the story from Luke 18, we find ourselves in need of praying what came to be called The Jesus Prayer: "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner."
This is a simple and powerful prayer that strikes at the heart of the need to face the truth about ourselves, and the strength that it takes to be more faithful to God and sacrificial toward others. Simply put, it's what we're all called to do.
This is indicated at the Transfiguration (Matthew 17:1–8, Mark 9:2–13, Luke 9:28–36) when Peter, James, and John saw Jesus glorified. Peter recounts this story in his second epistle (1:16-18) and adds (in verses 19-21) what is important for all of us.
"So we have the prophetic message more fully confirmed. You will do well to be attentive to this as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. First of all you must understand this, that no prophecy of scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation, because no prophecy ever came by human will, but men and women moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God."
You can be moved by the Holy Spirit. You can choose to change today!
To learn more about the theology of the uncreated light developed by St. Gregory Palamas, whose feast is November 14, click here, here, and here. More information on hesychastic practice can be found here.
An icon of St. Gregory Palamas.
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