{"id":7801,"date":"2009-01-05T05:56:00","date_gmt":"2009-01-05T05:56:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/markshea\/2009\/01\/7801\/"},"modified":"2015-01-01T15:26:50","modified_gmt":"2015-01-01T22:26:50","slug":"7801","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/markshea\/2009\/01\/7801.html","title":{"rendered":""},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

A reader who returned to the Church after 30 years writes (yesterday):<\/strong><\/p>\n

For many of us Catholics it\u2019s simply one hour a week when we make room for God in our lives, I know because I did this too. We go to Mass, we sometimes sing, we listen to 3 scripture readings, we try to pay attention to the priest or deacon as he gives us the homily, we fidget, we wonder why she wore THAT to Mass (what was she thinking?), we pay our dues in the collection, we wonder up front respectfully to receive the Eucharist and then we go home only to live our lives far removed from the very persons we just worshipped together with our brothers and sisters. <\/p>\n

Today is the feast of the Epiphany, or \u201cLittle Christmas\u201d as it use to be called, when the Magi brought gifts to the baby Jesus. This feast also comes one week into the new year and perhaps we have already procrastinated initiating those yearly resolutions that we all make. I was thinking that, like the Magi, I too can give a gift to Jesus, a gift that costs so little but a gift that I know will return to me more than I could possibly give to Him. I can give Jesus 5 minutes a day. It could be 5 minutes of reading the Bible, 5 minutes of reading the Church\u2019s scriptures for that day or 5 minutes of just talking to Jesus in my car while going to work just as if He were sitting next to me. I can share with Him those things in my daily life that discourage me, those things that scare me, those things in my faith that I have doubts about and what truly tempts me to do wrong. He already knows these things but just as He wanted to hear it from His apostles when He asked them that big question, \u201cWho do you say that I am?\u201d, He wants us to answer that question too and maybe spend just 5 minutes a day with Him. This could be the start of a beautiful relationship!<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\u201cGod is easy to please, but hard to satisfy.\u201d \u2013 George MacDonald<\/p>\n

Welcome home, good sir! Lovely to see your renewed zeal for Our Lord!<\/p>\n

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A reader who returned to the Church after 30 years writes (yesterday): For many of us Catholics it\u2019s simply one hour a week when we make room for God in our lives, I know because I did this too. 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