Push Your Limits

~~~ Saint Augustine, Bishop and Doctor of the Church ~~~

~~~1 Thessalonians  4:1-8 ~~~Psalm 97 ~~~  Matthew 25:1-13 ~~~

...you should conduct yourselves to please God...

When you think that you are living to please God
this is when you are called to do even more.

If we use our own criteria for pleasing God,
will it be enough?
God is asking you to remove any boundaries
you have set up for yourself.

Maybe you are satisfied that you
are making it to church once a week.

Maybe you even make it to church
more often than once a week.

Maybe you serve in one or more ministries in the church.
Perhaps you do volunteer work for the poor and needy.
The list could grow to be much longer.

Today you are being invited to challenge yourself.

Saint Augustine did challenge himself...
At first he was not making the best choices...
he lived a very worldly life...
wine, women, song, dance and more.
He finally exhausted his whimsical distractions;
that is when he found Jesus.

Augustine finally found his path to holiness.

Whatever you are doing with your life
God finds a way to turn it into his goodness.

Too many times we feel that God is not a part
of our present moments in life.

We forget that we can either choose to be prepared
when the bridegroom comes or we can be one
of the virgins with no oil left.

The best way to keep the supply of oil available for our lamps
 is to push the limits of our personal holiness.

It is through your holiness that you can keep
 the oil replenished in your lamp.

Growing in holiness is conducting yourself
in a manner to please God,
while stretching to the next level.

I invite you to challenge yourself.
 Become more pleasing to God; do more.
The will of God is for you to keep advancing in holiness. 

His Blessings are there to assist you.
Saint Augustine, pray for us.

~~~Peace~~~