God's Grace in the Here and Now
Grace is the love and mercy of God, freely given to us by God because He desires for us to have it. He is a good and gracious gift-giving Lord. And all He asks is that we be humble and grateful gift receivers.
As women, God has gifted us with receptivity, an inherent quality of our feminine genius. He created us with “alert, awakened, joyful readiness” to receive love. Like Mary at the Annunciation, we can choose in each and every moment to say “Yes Lord. Shower Your grace upon me, here and now!” And what seems to me to be an incomprehensible truth is that all God asks of us is to be aware of His ever-present Presence in the perpetual NOW and to open ourselves to receive the gift of His Grace.
This shower of Grace is God’s gift to us in each and every moment but we can only receive it in the sacrament of the present moment. When I allow my mind to ruminate on past mistakes or hurts or to be consumed with worry about the future, I am refusing to be a grateful receiver of God’s Grace in the present.
Being receptive to and allowing Him to fill us with His grace is the first step in claiming our identity as His Beloved daughters. It is His grace that leads us to victory moment by moment. As we become intentional receivers of God’s love our thoughts, words, and actions will bear the Fruits of the Holy Spirit. Looking back on our day and reflecting on our receptivity to grace helps us become aware of how receiving God’s Grace is transforming our hearts and minds. Soon we may notice how this interior transformation flows out into our relationships first in little droplets… then a steady dripping… and even sometimes a soft rainfall… The transforming of our hearts and the hearts of those in relationship with us all begins right Now. And again Now. And again Now. God’s Grace is always here for us in this present moment.
Dear Jesus,
Help me to focus my thoughts on You and Your ever-present shower of grace. May I open myself to Your grace again and again, and choose to receive Your life-giving gift in each moment of my days. Thank You for letting Your Grace rain down upon the dry, barren desert places in my heart, mind, soul, and life. Grant me the ability to see and experience the blossoming of hope, healing, and fruits of the Spirit that always accompany the humble and grateful receptivity of Your Grace. In Jesus’ name, I pray, Amen.
Laura Ercolino
June 2019