[Editor's Note: This article is the first of a series of articles on the theme, “Growing in Faith and Spiritual Maturity as Catholic Men.”]
We all know that growing in faith and spiritual maturity is a lifetime process not just a one-time thing. As Catholics, we also know that being a Christian is more than just a one-time conversion experience; it is a lifetime of ongoing conversion. How important is this growth and maturity process? Listen to these words of Scriptures:
I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready. You are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not worldly? Are you not acting like mere men? (1 Corinthians 3:2-3)
We have much to say about this, but it is hard to explain because you are slow to learn. In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God's word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil. Therefore let us leave the elementary teachings about Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death, and of faith in God, instruction about baptisms, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. And God permitting, we will do so. (Hebrews 5:11-6:3)
Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good. (1 Peter 2:2)
Over the next several weeks, the Catholic Man Channel will have a series of articles on three stages of growth in our Christian Life:
1. Conversion
2. Transformation
3. Mobilization for Mission (especially Evangelization)
From Troas we put out to sea and sailed straight for Samothrace, and the next day on to Neapolis. From there we traveled to Philippi, a Roman colony and the leading city of that district of Macedonia. And we stayed there several days. On the Sabbath we went outside the city gate to the river, where we expected to find a place of prayer. We sat down and began to speak to the women who had gathered there. One of those listening was a woman named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth from the city of Thyatira, who was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul's message. When she and the members of her household were baptized, she invited us to her home. “If you consider me a believer in the Lord,” she said, “come and stay at my house.” And she persuaded us. (Acts 16:11-15) [emphasis added]
What is the nature of conversion? What happens at conversion? What occurs after conversion? These are all excellent questions, and one way of answering them is to look at conversion stories in the Scriptures. The conversion of Lydia, described below, is from the May 22, 2006 meditation in The Word Among Us magazine.
During one of Paul’s journeys to Europe, he met a businesswoman named Lydia. And what began as a normal day by the river turned into a life-changing spiritual encounter for Lydia and her family. Lydia, a Gentile, was already a worshipper of the God of the Jews, but God had plans for her to know his Son, Jesus, as well. Luke tells us that God opened Lydia’s heart to Paul’s preaching, and she became his first European convert to Christianity. From this point on, Lydia’s life would now be characterized by a loving, life-giving personal relationship with Jesus.
This is the very nature of conversion: God touches our hearts and makes us aware of his love, our sinfulness, and our need for his mercy. Such an awareness moves us to turn toward him so that he can begin a process of teaching and empowering us to embrace his goodness and reject the glamour of evil.
While the story of Lydia in Acts is short, we can be sure that it did not end where Luke leaves it. Lydia’s conversion not only prompted her to accept baptism; it also moved her to welcome Paul and his companions into her home. Such an act of generosity shows that “conversion urges expression in visible signs, gestures, and works of penance” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1430). It also shows that conversion is not just a one-time event but a lifelong process. It involves continually being open to God and bearing good fruit as we learn to cooperate with his Spirit.
As God continues to help us to open our hearts to him, we are transformed bit by bit. The most important changes we experience do not come as a result of big, spectacular events but from the ordinary events of our day. We leave behind the marks of our old life as selfishness gives way to service, wasted time becomes opportunities for prayer, and the approval of God eclipses human praise. So let us keep the door of our hearts wide open to Jesus so we can be remolded into his beautiful image!
“Father, deepen the conversion of my heart and let me experience greater intimacy with you. May my experience of your vast love inspire and strengthen me to love and serve others in the name of your only Son, Jesus.”
(Maurice Blumberg is Executive Director of the National Fellowship of Catholic Men. This article is part of NFCM's sponsorship of the Catholic Man channel. Contact NFCM at P.O. Box 86381, Gaithersburg, MD 20886 or e-mail them at info@nfcmusa.org. Many thanks to The Word Among Us for allowing us to adapt the May 22, 2005 meditation from the Easter 2006 issue of their magazine. If you would like to make a contribution to the NFCM, just click here.)
Reflection Questions on Page 2
Questions for Reflection/Discussion by Catholic Men
1. What impact did the article have on your understanding of the nature of conversion? What happens at conversion? What occurs after conversion?
2. How would you describe your own conversion to Christ? Was there a specific moment when you gave your life to Christ or was it a process for you?
3. The article says that “conversion is not just a one-time event but a lifelong process. It involves continually being open to God and bearing good fruit as we learn to cooperate with his Spirit.” What steps can you take to deepen the good fruits of ongoing conversion to Christ in your own life?
4. In the upcoming weeks look for some opportunities to open your heart more fully to Jesus Christ and “leave behind the marks of our old life as selfishness gives way to service, wasted time becomes opportunities for prayer, and the approval of God eclipses human praise.” If you are in a men’s group, share the fruit of this at your meeting.
