By Father Nicholas Pearce
Those working on ladders are encouraged to maintain three points of contact at all times when climbing. This is a fundamental principle of workplace safety to ensure that workers, no matter how busy they may be, or how much work they have to do, remain safe at all times and avoid workplace accidents, tragedies, and fatalities. I've always thought that this is an excellent analogy for the Christian life. That we too, should strive at all times to maintain three points of contact. In the busyness of our daily lives, it is easy to let things go as we rush from one thing to the next. To avoid tragedy, to avoid spiritual death, we should always keep three points of contact, no matter how busy or distracted we are.
Take a moment to reflect on your own spiritual life. What are your three points of contact? Do you have them at all times? Or are you hanging on by one hand? Are you at risk of falling away completely?
Our first and most crucial point of contact is Sunday Mass, the source and summit of our Christian life. In reflecting on the Importance of Sunday Mass, Pope Francis said recently "How can we carry out the Gospel without drawing the energy needed to do it, one Sunday after another, from the limitless source of the Eucharist." It is integral that we keep an emphasis on Sunday Mass, for ourselves and for our family. Does our family make Sunday Mass the centre of our week or do we fly in the doors of the Church and out again? Is Mass just another thing on a long list of obligations we need to complete on Sunday before we get a chance to really relax? Do we make an effort to prepare well, dress well and participate well in Sunday mass?
Our Second point of contact should be in and through the other sacraments and the treasury of devotions the Church offers us. So many beautiful tools for spiritual growth that were once commonplace among all Catholics have now been relegated to the annals of history. These things need to be rediscovered by each one of us if we are looking for a stable and secure spiritual life. Of course, one of the most important is the regular use of the Sacrament of Confession, this tribunal of mercy that is so often forgotten. Do we turn to the Lord and seek his forgiveness and grace with regularity? How about fostering devotion to the Blessed Sacrament? Do we make time for Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, or for a visit to the Church during the week or do we make an effort to attend a weekday Mass? Let us not forget our Blessed Mother. When was the last time we prayed the rosary with devotion and love? Have we taught our children and grandchildren to have a love of our Lady and to turn to her with all their needs?
And finally, do we reach out to other members of our Parish community? Are we interested in being an active member of our Parish Family? Our Parish is full of numerous social groups and opportunities to serve others, which in turn builds our relationship with our fellow parishioners. Have you considered serving in one of our Parish groups, joining the Alpha Team as a leader or hospitality assistant, supporting our youth? What about volunteering for Vinnies, or church cleaning or at a working bee? All these opportunities to work alongside your fellow Parishioners are a fantastic way to ensure that your Christian faith is growing and deepening in real and concrete ways through love and service of your neighbour.