Prayer and Reflection

As I was praying about visiting St. Paul of the Cross, the words that came to mind were "Trust and Obey." Often my relationship with the Lord depends on how I am feeling that day. Often my disciplines go lax. I might use a catch phrase such as, "this doesn't feel authentic and organic" to somehow justify not reading the Bible when I don't feel like it. I often her the phrase, "Christianity is a relationship, not a religion." While Catholicism seems more religious and more mechanical, God wants us to serve him religiously. I don't plan on becoming a member of the Catholic church, but I know that God wants me to focus on him in a more disciplined manner and express my love and gratitude for Him even when I don't feel like it. This means making time with Him more ritualistic (not robotic) while keeping my heart directed toward his purposes.