Zeal for Souls

Zeal, as with love, can be manifested in many ways.  One can be a "zealot" without being radical in act or work, but radical is heart and spirit.  I think often in our current day and age, we associate one with great zeal to be a person that is radical in outward expressions of faith.  But, as with the different manifestations of love, one expression is not "better" than another as long the intention and act are pure.  If my zeal be only physical, in the sense of going and showing others Christ - but the intent of my heart is to boast, I have not true zeal.  But if my intention comes from love, the love bestowed on me by God, then it is Zeal as it is meant to be. 

Some of us, I feel, have a natural gift of zeal for souls.  I have been blessed with a heart for souls, but how do I manifest this? How do I act on this?  I, for some time, thought that zeal for souls meant only that my concern be shown by my actions and what I could do for them.  I love God's people, so how can I help them.   

Then I humbly realized...

Me to Souls

Me to Jesus for Souls 

Being a finite being, one who is imperfect, I lack the ability to do good for other souls on my own accord.  I can only give so much; I can only love so much.  I first, must manifest a tie, a bond, to the TRUE Zealous Heart, the Sacred Heart of Jesus, the act of Love of Sacrifice on the Cross.  Then, from this, I can become an instrument for love and a warrior for souls.

Prayer:
Lord, provide me with great zeal for your people.  Give me insight into my heart that I may only be your instrument and not act/speak on my own accord.  Let my heartache for souls be so deep that I may agonize with you in the Garden. Allow me to sacrifice as you did on the Cross to show all souls the Truth of Easter Sunday joy. AMEN

Stolen

Back in 2007, Dashboard Confessional came out with a song called Stolen.  I was, at the time, going through a phase where I listen to a lot of Dashboard, Secondhand Serenade, and the like.  In 2012, I have been listening to a lot of Boyce Avenue.  If you dont know them, check them out, they do a lot of great cover songs.  While I was packing for my long awaited mission trip (yayy!), Boyce's version of Stolen came on and I began to ponder the main lyrics of the song....

"You have Stolen My Heart"

To have your heart stolen is to have it captured: completely captivated.  Its funny the ways and things that can captivate a heart, and that, I believe, is part of the Lord's genius.  There are no two people that will be captivated in the same way by God's amazing love.  Sadly, our hearts can be caught in a whirlwind of societies lies of what love, what happiness is.  Once Jesus has "stolen" your heart, the lies of pseudo-happiness cannot be sustaining because the heart has experienced true love, true joy.

For me, my heart is captivated by service to God's precious people.  It awakens a certain part of my heart that I cant describe.  Tomorrow morning I leave on a very long awaited trip to Jamaica with some beautiful people!  I, at many times, thought this trip would never go off; however, I kept trying to plan it because my stolen heart was being asked to by Love Himself.  But in just a few short hours, my heart will be communicating in the best way it knows how to the one who has captivated it, by loving people.

Precious souls that His heart is stolen by, I have the chance to love.  In that way I can love Him, and get to know Him better. Precious souls like these are His heart in disguise.

St. Therese of Lisieux, pray for us!