We are a work in progress

		Living the Scriptures  with St. Paul University  Catholic Center  Kiley Flugaur

"I am confident of this, that the one who began a good work in you will continue to complete it until the day of Christ Jesus," writes St. Paul in his letter to the Philippians.

What a great God we have! God knows I am not perfect, but he loves me the way I am with all my imperfections and sin. God does not expect me to be perfect, but God does expect me to work for perfection, to be Christ-like.

Second Sunday of Advent (Dec. 7, 2003) Bar 5:1-9 Ps 126:1-2, 2-3, 4-5, 6 Phil 1:4-6, 8-11 Lk 3:1-6

Many times I get stuck in a rut of complacency. I do the least possible I must in order to get by. I tell myself that this is okay because I should not worry about what grades I get, or what degree I have, or what job I get - after all God loves me unconditionally.

I could decide this is a good way of thinking because it keeps me from focusing on what the world expects of me and not becoming stressed out by the work I have to get done. But I think that often it really is laziness creeping in, keeping me from using the gifts I have been given to do all I possibly can for God's glory.

God doesn't expect perfection in me, but he expects me to live for perfection. A great quote is, "God loves you just the way you are, but he loves you too much to let you stay that way."

God wants me to live for greatness. He expects much of me.

He knows it is hard work and that it will take me many years. That is the hard part of the verse, ". . . he will continue to complete it until the day of Christ Jesus." Just when I feel that I have worked hard to get an assignment done or to overcome a certain area of sin in my life or when I have grown in my prayer life, I say, "Look what I've done Lord, look how you have helped me grow, now I can take a break and relax a while."

But, God always comes back with something more, some new way in which I need to work on becoming closer to Christ and to grow in holiness.

	Reflection questions • What good work has God already done in your life? Spend a few moments thanking God for what he has done in you. • In what area of my life is God calling me to work this Advent season?

As Christ promises, "(He) will continue to complete (the work in us)" until he comes back again. I know the road to holiness will be long, rough, and winding, but as John the Baptist proclaimed, "Prepare the way of the Lord . . . The winding roads shall be made straight, and the rough roads made smooth, and all flesh shall see the salvation of God."

I will see the salvation of God if I keep persevering, in faith, with the strength that God provide. God will lead me by his grace as he continues his work in me.

Kiley Flugaur, a student leader at St. Paul University Catholic Center, is a senior from Wisconsin Rapids who is majoring in nursing. St. Paul's Web site is www.stpaulscc.org

In a Nutshell Advent is a good time to take inventory of our past year's spiritual journey. If we never fully reach the goal of Christian life on earth, can we nonetheless gain a sense of whether we are moving forward or backward? Ultimately, growth in Christ has more to do with God's mercy toward us than our efforts toward him. Catholic News Service 3211 Fourth St NE Washington DC 20017 202.541.3250 cns@catholicnews.com	Food for Thought   How have I developed as a human being and as a Christian (presumably the two intertwine) over the past decade? Or, how have we as a couple or a community done this? These are challenging questions. We haven't exactly watched ourselves grow over the years the way we may have watched seeds sprout in spring! I probably would begin my own answer by asking some further questions: 1) Were there ways I hoped to grow? 2) And how was I urged or pressed to grow by important, unexpected developments in life? 1. On the one hand, taking account of the Gospel, we all can make decisions about our growth -- deciding to try to become more supportive of others and less self-serving or to clarify our priorities, for example. full story   Taking Inventory of Our Spiritual Journey By Father John W. Crossin, OSFS Catholic News Service "Know thyself." This ancient Greek admonition, often used by such Christians as St. Francis de Sales, is very difficult to practice when it comes to taking inventory of our spiritual journey. We sometimes can see others' spiritual progress rather clearly. Our own growth is more difficult to discern. So we often rely on spiritual friends and mentors to help us see the light. full story  Disruptions That Offer Growth Opportunities By Frederic Flach, MD Catholic News Service My mother recorded my growing up when I was a boy. She stood me against the pantry wall and stretched a pencil across the top of my head, making a small mark to indicate how tall I was. She did this every six months or so -- until I was 7 or 8, after which I thought it silly and persuaded her to stop. full story  Two Contrasting Approaches to Spirituality By Dan Luby Catholic News Service Recently, leafing idly through a collection of favorite newspaper comic strips, I ran across a much-loved sequence of panels that still amused me-- and still rang true -- 20 years after my first reading. The college student in the strip is making plans to invite for a visit a girl he hopes to impress. He writes a script for the phone call and practices it with his roommate. When he actually calls her, her spontaneous responses throw him off stride. full story
	Faith in the Marketplace   This Week's Discussion Point: Tell one significant way your life or understanding as a Christian has changed, developed, over the past decade.     Selected Response From Readers:
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