Seek the Face of God

Spiritual life consists in seeking the face of God. The psalmist says: ‘I seek your face, O Lord’ (Ps 27:8). We, too, seek the face of God. Whatever our spiritual past may be, we are still seeking him because God is a mystery. Every time we draw near to Him, we discover Him in a new way.

Increasing one’s spiritual fervour

There is perpetual newness in our encounter with God. For any love to retain its fervour, it must always incorporate new elements. One of the greatest dangers of the Christian life is lukewarmness. Often, converts lose their spiritual momentum and fall back into old ways. We risk becoming content with a spiritual life lacking in fervour; we risk stopping at the belief that simply no longer committing certain sins and being involved in the Church is sufficient for our spiritual growth. Such a mindset leads to a fall, and we may realise that, in reality, we perhaps had more zeal when we were first converted than we do now. To help us with this, we need to ask ourselves certain questions regularly: am I living up to what I know? Am I living up to what I have received? What have I done with my abilities and talents? We can only ask God for forgiveness for not using all our strengths for Him, or for squandering them.

Lack of spiritual fervour

As Pope Paul VI says, one of the greatest dangers to our friendship with God is a lack of fervour, a lack of zeal and enthusiasm (Evangelii nuntiandi). We might think of this in terms of a lamp running low on oil, which consequently gradually dims. This lack of fervour is far more dangerous because it comes from within. It is a broken engine, a sick heart. Sometimes, the problem is so subtle that we do not realise it straight away. Yet the symptoms are as follows: a sense of heaviness when it comes to honouring one’s spiritual promises and remaining faithful to one’s vocation. Spiritual laziness in prayer, an increasing number of reasons not to pray, or to put it off, or even to cut it short. We begin to make excuses for sin. We seek compromises with sin. We increasingly start to think according to the world’s logic. A lack of commitment and effort to live out the Word of God and to seek holiness. One no longer feels compelled to share one’s spiritual experiences with others. One begins to regard certain spiritual attitudes as childish. Let us ask forgiveness for this lukewarmness which hinders our friendship with Him.

Taking each day seriously

Life moves at breakneck speed. Some, alas, are accustomed to slowness and indecision, wavering in their relationship with God. ‘We mustn’t overdo it,’ they say. Sometimes there are days we put on hold. Events to experience, things to do that we put off until later. Yet every day is an ideal opportunity to love Jesus. Every moment is the right time to grow in holiness. It is not when a situation has changed that we will be able to live a life of holiness. Our present circumstances are the very moment to seek to love God. Must we wait for situations to improve before we can feel a fervour of love for God? He wants you to love him right here, in the very situation you are living through. ‘Serve the Lord with unwavering zeal and a fervent spirit’ (Romans 12:11).

Faithfulness in Zeal

Sometimes we are full of enthusiasm as we make resolutions to please God. And the very next day, we lose all our zeal. Where, then, is the faithfulness that is essential to all love? Let us ask God for forgiveness once more. Let us make a fresh commitment to be more faithful and more fervent today, like the disciples on the road to Emmaus when they recognised Jesus. When we feel the fire of our love for God dying down, let us fan the embers through prayer. Let us stoke the flame of our love for Jesus. Let us also use all our ingenuity to please Him, to win Him over. The Song of Songs says: ‘I seek my beloved.’ When we feel Jesus is far away, let us seek Him with all our heart. The Word of God promises that if we seek Him, we will find Him. Let us seek Him in prayer and through other necessary activities. Let us renew our friendship with Jesus. Come, Holy Spirit.

Henri Bayemi