What's the deal, God?

 

 

                                                  

I've been thinking about prayer and how we feel when we don't get what we want.

"What's the point?" we ask, if our prayers don't elicit a response, or specifically, the response we are asking for.

We might even conclude that if we don't have the ability to manipulate change, or God, when we pray, then why bother?

We may even just give up on the idea of prayer altogether, feeling like we're just putting our petitions out into the universe where no one is listening. 

A couple of things to remember, when we get frustrated by prayer . . .

For one thing, prayer helps us come into union with God, in his communion of persons--Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

Also, our prayers should be pure.  Let's not pray to win the lottery. Let's ask God for something we really need or for the needs of others. Let's ask for his will to be done.

But, what if we are praying for a true good--something God himself would want (like someone coming back to the Church)--and nothing happens?

What then? 

What if we've done everything right and we still get radio silence from God? 

At that point, we have an opportunity to practice humility. To remember that the act of praying is a statement that we believe in God and trust him. To remember that we are the created, not the Creator.

It is an opportunity to pray for God's timing and his will, not ours. It's not what we can get out of our relationship with him. That's not what prayer is about.

I remember praying for something I wanted really bad many years ago and it didn't happen. Now, many years later, I can see why God in his wisdom held back on my desire.

I often do not understand--in the moment--what God is doing (or not doing), but the most important thing for me is to remember that God is present in the moment and allowing me to go through whatever I am dealing with.

That waiting in humility and trusting in his silence is a perfect chance to grow closer to God and to replace my own desire with the desire for his will. 

Our wills should be aligned, mine to his, not his to mine.

Prayer is an act of love, and God wants nothing more than for us to draw near to him. Never give up on prayer, for to do so, is to give up on God.

Pray for peace and an end to war.

Janet Cassidy
Email me at:  jmctm2@gmail.com

janetcassidy.com
https://www.facebook.com/reflectionsinfaith/
https://www.youtube.com/@janetcassidy 

 

Does fear get in your way?

Whenever I read about the Annunciation (when the angel appeared to Mary), or the Visitation (when Mary visited Elizabeth), I use those occasions to pray for people in my own life that do not know Jesus, or who have not remained close to him.

I pray that God announces himself to them, or visits them, so that they will come to know him personally. Included in all of these prayers is that the Holy Spirit will be poured out on them, prompting them to turn to God.

An additional prayer I utter is that they will not be able to refuse God. 

I am a firm believer that God wants to draw all of his children to him and sometimes it just takes an instant for those who have lost their way to return to him by a prompting or an increase through spiritual understanding.

Mary had been prepared her entire life to say Yes! when it was announced to her that she would conceive Jesus. We celebrate that announcement today.

Sometimes fear can get in the way of us taking a chance on God, but when courage steps in and moves us, it can be life-changing.

I hope that each of you will receive an announcement of Jesus in your life and that you will be visited by the Holy Spirit, and that you have the courage to be open to God's call and give him your own Yes!

Pray for peace and an end to war.

Janet Cassidy
Email me at:  jmctm2@gmail.com

janetcassidy.com
https://www.facebook.com/reflectionsinfaith/
https://www.youtube.com/@janetcassidy 

 

 

Life's Big Questions

 

Forever, man has been asking big questions about life, and one of the biggest, I think, is "Why am I here?" 

The answer to why we are here is not as mysterious as we might imagine.

We can get lost thinking that our purpose comes from our activity, or our acquisitions or even our physical or intellectual achievements.

But we would be wrong.

When I was working on my master's degree, my theology teacher drew our attention to the very first line in the Prologue of the "Catechism of the Catholic Church."

Beautifully written, I have always been pulled in by this line. Each time I reflect on it, I feel I get a little closer to understanding it.

"God, infinitely perfect and blessed in himself, in a plan of sheer goodness freely created man to make him share in his own blessed life."

It goes on:

"For this reason, at every time and in every place, God draws close to man." 

And then it points out, in this first paragraph, that God sent Jesus to call us together as we are divided by sin, and when the time was right, Jesus came as our Redeemer and Savior.

In these words, we can discover our purpose in life. The Why, our Purpose. 

Do you see the answer? If not, try reading it again.

Because God is love, he wants to share himself--love--with us. But, because of sin, he sent Jesus to save us so that we can once again be united to God.

If you are plugging along every day, seemingly doing fine, but unaware or ignoring Jesus, you are missing out on the opportunity to be close to your Creator, the Love he is calling you to, and well, a "blessed life."

Sharing in God's "own blessed life," is way, far beyond the love you can know without God. His desire is for you to know just how amazing life with Love is. That's what he wants for us.

Naturally, once you experience it, you innately desire to share it. 

No matter what you are doing in this life, if you are doing it without knowledge of God, you are missing out.

Lent is a great time to reflect more deeply on what you are missing. Do not be afraid to let loose the chains that are holding you back, whether it is your preconceived ideas about faith, your hyper-rationale or your plain old obstinacy.

Start asking questions and you will find joy beyond what you can imagine.

Pray for peace and an end to war.

Janet Cassidy
Email me at:  jmctm2@gmail.com

janetcassidy.com
https://www.facebook.com/reflectionsinfaith/
https://www.youtube.com/@janetcassidy