Supper at Emmaus Bartolomeo Cavarozzi (Getty)
Supper at Emmaus Bartolomeo Cavarozzi (Getty)

The one who began a good work in you will continue to complete it until the day of Christ Jesus. (Phillipians 1:6)

As the end of Lent nears, we see how far we have come. And we see how far we have to go to become the holy children of God he created us to become.

God began a good work in us on Ash Wednesday and inspired us to launch out into the deep of many unknowns. The unknown of our capacity to make the change he inspired in us. The unknown of our perseverance and the strength of our expectant faith.

Coöperating with grace

What is not unknown now is that new sureness inside us that we are growing spiritually. Whatever the outcome of our Lenten resolutions, something in our spirit is urging us on to continue to coöperate with the grace poured out on us during these 40 days and abounding even more during Eastertide.

Perhaps it is the grace to continue with a new devotion, more consistent prayer time, or additional time spent pursuing spiritual wisdom or before the Blessed Sacrament. It could be a new appreciation of a food or activity we denied ourselves that we will always enjoy more because of our sacrifice this Lent. Awareness of a weakness we hadn’t recognized before can bring us the resolve to coöperate with God in strengthening our faith so that, with the help of the Lord, we will be victorious.

Growing up in the Lord

We are growing up in the Lord! Let us now look forward to the Easter season and all the beauty, glory and new life springing up around us and praise God for the beauty, glory and new life budding in our soul.

The one who began a good work in you will continue to complete it until the day of Christ Jesus. (Phillipians 1:6)

What good work that God began in you during Lent will you continue after Easter?

© 2017 Nancy H C Ward

Nancy Ward, convert, journalist, author, and speaker, writes from Texas about Catholicism, conversion and Christian community at NancyHCWard.com, JOYAlive.net, and other websites and magazines. Through her Sharing Your Catholic Faith Story workshops, retreats and DVD, she shares her conversion story in Catholic parishes and at conferences, equipping others to share their stories. She contributed to the award-winning The Catholic Mom's Prayer Companion, facilitates two Catholic Writers Guild critique groups, serves on the Guild’s Board, and speaks at national writers conferences.