As Catholics, we’re called to turn away from our sinful lives, and take on new lives in partnership with Christ. Here’s another way to put it — our hearts need to be converted. Sometimes conversion leads to our decision to enter the Catholic faith, but it can also lead to a rejuvenation or reinvigoration of our pre-existing faith.
In both cases, we’re called to shed our ‘old self’ and become a ‘new man,’ as Saint Paul puts it.
While we often hear of big conversion stories or those ‘a-ha’ moments that forever change people’s perspectives, conversion is not a one-and-done choice. Those big moments set our feet on the path to sainthood, but each and every day we must continue to put one foot in front of the other, doing small things that move us closer and closer to Christ, even if our pace is slow.
Everyone hates traffic, and it’s safe to say that the worst kind of traffic is bumper-to-bumper, where you’ve practically come to a standstill. Sitting there, we know that time is passing and we’re not going anywhere.
But even when we’re moving at a crawling pace, like that bumper-to-bumper traffic, we know that in time, we’ll arrive. It might just take a while — the same rings true with faith.