perhaps God's greatest creation

Today in A Year with the Church Fathers, St Justin Martyr tells us about possibly the greatest of all of God's creations.

He says that God gave us our intelligence. And, in a very insightful phrase, he tells us that "So that we will use the intelligence He Himself gave us to choose to follow the things that please Him, He persuades us and leads us to faith."

Pretty amazing, isn't it? I mean, when you step back and think about it, God gave us the very brains we use to decide if we want to follow Him or not. He gave us our minds with which we can choose to love Him... or reject Him. He created all of the things that we can love more than we love Him. He trusted us with something so great it embarrasses us with its riches: the ability to choose (truly choose) to love Him.

This lenten season, let's set aside everything that distracts our brains and focus on loving Him with all of our minds.

Thank You, God, for such a great and undeserved gift.