Our Lady of the Holy Rosary — St. Richard Catholic Church

"I am the resurrection and the life; whoever believes in me, even if he dies, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe
this?”  (John 11:25-26)

THE WAY TO ABUNDANT LIFE

How is your way of life working for you this Easter?

We look at Christ’s resurrection from death two thousand years ago as a promise of eternal life for us after we physically die on earth. However, we sometimes forget that Christ came that we might have an abundant life now (John 10:10).

A true, abundant life is one lived and modeled on the person of Jesus Christ. It is a life where we can begin to experience now God’s paramount spiritual reality of abundant love, joy, freedom, justice, peace, mercy, compassion, healing, forgiveness, patience, kindness, generosity, salvation, and many other blessings.

It begins when we see clearly the masks—-those distorted images, perceptions, desires, and realities—we have created in our own minds to justify ourselves and meet the expectations of society or others. We can experience God’s spiritual reality in our lives when we let go of our self-centered egos and our pursuit of inordinate pleasures, power, prestige, and possessions that will never satisfy our quest for a meaningful and purpose-filled life , but will ultimately only enslave us.

Through God’s grace and the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit, we begin to live our lives consistent with the reality of who we are—daughters and sons of our Creator God who unconditionally loves us and sustains each of us. God wants nothing less for us than to fully become the person who God created us to be—a person who freely chooses to have, live, and grow in meaningful, purposeful, and love-filled relationships with God, with others, with ourselves, and with all of Creation.

Dying to old ways of thinking and acting, we come to embrace the Way and have the same attitude of Jesus (Phil 2:5). It is a Way and an attitude lived in simplicity, always striving to do God’s will, to bring about God’s reality for our time and place. It is living in the present moment. It is teaching and speaking truth and striving for justice and peace no matter the personal cost. It is welcoming and reaching out with self-sacrificial love and compassion to the excluded, the stranger, the homeless, the impoverished, the persecuted, the immigrant and others in need, bringing healing and being present with them in their suffering.

We do not travel this journey alone. Instead, we are empowered through God’s indwelling Holy Spirit and nourished through God’s Word and sacraments as we journey in communion with our sisters and brothers in Christ. Together we commit ourselves to this Way of being and living, united as one in Christ, where we welcome, support, challenge, celebrate, and collectively share with one another our individual gifts, talents, and material possessions. This Way is not always easy, but what God has prepared for us is beyond anything we can possibly imagine (1 Cor 2:9). It is a Way leading us to abundant life now and to eternal life with God. 

Reflect on Your Experience

Are you living an abundant life?

What can you do now to begin to experience God’s
spiritual reality in your life?

"The Resurrection of Jesus" (Bishop Robert Barron)

"The Meaning of Easter" (Bishop Robert Barron)

"Easter Sunday" (Catholic Online)

"Why is the Resurrection Credible?" (Bishop Robert Barron)

"How to Pick Up Your Cross" (Fr. Mike Schmitz)

"Is God in the Center of Your Life?" (Fr. Mike Schmitz)

"Finding Balance in Christian Life" (Fr. Mike Schmitz)

"Developing A Clear Vision in Life" (Fr. Mike Schmitz)

"How to Make Jesus the Center of Your Life"

"How to Be A Good Disciple of Christ" (Fr. Mike Schmitz)

"Yes, but Catholicisms (Fr. William Nicholas)

"Jesus Christ is Risen Today"

"Lift High the Cross"

"Crown Him with Many Crowns"

"You Raise Me Up"

"Amazing Grace" (Judy Collins)

"What Does the Resurrection Mean for Our Daily Life" (Pope Francis)

"The Importance of the Resurrection" (Fr. Robert Spitzer)

"The Resurrection of Jesus" (Fr. Kenneth Baker, S.J.)

"Reflecting on the Resurrection: Why Did Jesus Rise with Wounds"

"The Pascal Mystery in Everyday Life" (Loyola Press)

"Jesus Invites Us to Live Life Abundantly"

"Living Life to the Full" (Archbishop Rowan Williams)

"What Does God Want from Me? The Secrets of Living Abundantly"

"Catholic Spirituality in Practice" (C 21 - Boston College)

Other Prayer and Spiritual Practices

Social Services and Other Charitable Resources

Other Resources on Catholic Social Teaching

If you have any questions or concerns, please email us at: aff@hrsrcs.org