Feel the Fire

Maybe it’s because it’s a cold, lazy, snowy (and somewhat miserable) February day in Michigan. Or maybe it’s because the 40 days of Lent are upon us. Or maybe I just needed some quick inspiration near the end of a long day where I spent five hours in phone meetings. Whatever it was I found myself drawn to the cover of a new book on my desk: A 40-Day Spiritual Workout for Catholics by Bob Rice.

If I was looking for inspiration I found it looking through this short book of thoughts and prayers and suggestions for an active response to God at work. The challenge is to spend 40 days growing closer to God. Commit to taking some time every day to pray and connect with God. After 40 days it will become a habit, a part of your life. You’ll find some spiritual muscle being built up. Using the concept of a physical workout, Rice encourages us to engage for 40 days with God. The possibilities are endless!

Here are a few gems I found while flipping through:

• Faith is a virtue. Virtues are like spiritual muscles. The more we work them the stronger we get.
• When we bless God we give Him permission to work in our lives—we say yes to Him.
• Sin is serious. But once we have sinned, the best thing to do is to cry out to God in repentance and let Him pick us up.
• The world tells us we have value because of what we do. God tells us that we have value because of who we are.

Rice has a way of using simple language in a manner that ignites my heart—perfect for a lazy afternoon. In physical training we talk about “feeling the burn” as we work our muscles. As I read this book my thought is “feel the fire,” the fire of God’s love burning its way more deeply into me as I engage with him.

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Image: Shutterstock/Warren Goldswain

About the Author

Louise Pare

Louise Paré has spent the last 37 years in Catholic publishing and is currently a director of product development for Servant Books. She works from her home in Michigan, where she is an avid Detroit Tigers fan.