Spiritual Formation, Part I

(Lent is about humbling one's self and taking on the nature of Christ. Each Sunday during this time I will let wise Christians speak on these subjects, the first 3 weeks about self-renunciation and the following 3 weeks on spiritual formation. Here the Orthodox writer Tito Colliander describes beginning the Christian journey.)

Fourth Sunday of Lent

"Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you" (James 4.8).

"It is for us to begin. If we take one step towards the Lord, he takes ten towards us -- he who saw the prodigal son while he was at a distance, and had compassion and ran and embraced him."

-- Tito Colliander, The Way of the Ascetics, p. 74