Make your move toward God

 

I find it fascinating to watch animals and how they move according to instincts. 

Although I must admit, I'm beginning to wonder about the instincts of squirrels. Why do they dart back and forth in front of a car until finally coming to a "decision" about which direction to go? 

We were out to a nature preserve one evening about dusk and we stopped our car to watch a deer standing beside the road. As we watched her watching us, we could tell that her wise instincts told her not to cross the road in front of us. 

We just sat there and waited her out, enjoying her beauty, and when it looked like we were not going to be a danger to her and her little ones, she decided it was safe to cross in front of us.

We've been watching a show on National Geographic about a baby lion cub growing up. Of course the narrator attaches human thoughts and emotions to every situation the cub and its mother finds itself in, but you can tell from the videos that a lion's instincts are truly amazing, from how they go after prey in order to survive, to how they seem to "comfort" each other when there is a death in the tribe.

What are your natural instincts? What about when it comes to faith, to God, or to having a Creator?

Are you like a squirrel running in every direction, unsure of the best way to go, or are you like a wise deer, observing what is around you, or are you like a lion who acts out of self-preservation.

In each and every one of us God has put an innate desire for him. The "Catechism of the Catholic Church" puts it this way in Paragraph 27:

"The desire for God is written in the human heart, because man is created by God and for God; and God never ceases to draw man to himself. Only in God will he find the truth and happiness he never stops searching 
for . . ."

Drawing from the Second Vatican Council, we know that "this invitation to converse with God is addressed to man as he comes into being." (Gaudium et Spes, 19)

So there you have it. We all have within us a natural instinct to seek God. The problem is, too many of us dismiss or deny it.

But even when we do, it is still within us. When we try to deny the existence of God and his connection to us, it creates within us unresolved tension. 

What do YOU think it does to us when we try to live without recognizing this "intimate and vital link with God, or [to] have explicitly rejected it"? (GS, 19)

Reflect on the fact that you are created by God, and consider how knowing this can--and should--impact the decisions you make in regards to the direction you will go in life.

Whether you run frantically, dangerously, in every direction like a squirrel, or you stand in observance of what is around you before making a move, know that God who created you, made you magnificent and wants nothing more than to draw you to himself.

Make your move toward him today. 

Pray for peace, joy, 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 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Turn to Mary and Jesus when suffering

 

I was reflecting on the Agony in the Garden in the Gospel of Matthew and it occurred to me that while we often focus on the divinity of Jesus, sometimes we might overlook his human nature.

While Jesus is 100% divine and 100% human, undivided, it can be helpful for us to reflect on his words just prior to his arrest. They reveal his deep connection with our own experiences of sorrow and grief:

"My soul is sorrowful even to death," he said, as he continued to pray, "My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me; yet, not as I will, but as you will."

In "Where is my cure, God?" I wrote about the struggle we have when we do not get the answer we want in prayer, especially in regards to suffering, but today I want to talk about the significance of Jesus being so close to us that he understands personally what we go through.

Having a God who is not distant from us, but who has experienced the great pain, loneliness and suffering that we go through as mortal beings living in this world, should give us hope as we look to the resurrection.

The pain of the cross was surely not easy, but it was fruitful.

On this Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, I am reminded of her front-row seat to everything Jesus went through. The pain that pierced her like a sword must have been almost unbearable for this fully human mother.

But, as I heard at Mass this morning, today is Mary's Easter, as she was assumed body and soul into heaven. 

We can see that God's divine plan included not only Jesus, but his mother as well, when it comes to their understanding our pain and connecting us to them. They have the unique position of helping us navigate the suffering of this world, while looking toward the next, especially since they have first-hand knowledge of the heartache our humanity can bring.

Mary's assumption, as I was reminded today, is what will happen to all of us. Maybe we won't actually be assumed, but our life will (hopefully) end in heaven, in eternal life.

So let us learn from Jesus and Mary and follow their obedience to the Father, and remember that although our grief may be profound today, it is temporary, and love will always be victorious over it.

Pray for peace, joy, 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 

 

 

  

 

 

Where is my cure, God?

 

I was praying with the Gospel of Matthew, Chapter 17, verses 17-20 about the man that knelt down in front of Jesus, begging him to cure his son.

And Jesus cured him. 

This left me asking why God doesn't cure every sickness. If he has the ability to fix things, why do we have to suffer so? Why do we have to endure grief and loss?

None of the reasons I could find seemed sufficient to me. I mean, I don't believe God causes our physical bodies to develop sickness. And I don't think he withholds healing to strengthen our faith because it would be good for us. 

What kind of a father would he be if he sat back and allowed his children to suffer so that he could teach them a lesson? 

Although, I suppose there are times, as a parent, that we have done some version of this, in little ways, so that our children will grow and learn through their mistakes, but that is not the same thing.

So, back to the question. If God has the ability to fix things, why do we have to suffer? Why do some people get a cure and others do not?

The only thing that does help me when I struggle with this question is knowing that we can have only one response to our human struggles, and that one response pleases and glorifies God . . .

We must continue to have faith that he is walking with us through it. God does not leave our side. He provides strength and comfort, if not always healing.

The truth is, I don't know why some people get cured while others do not, but to continue to believe that God is with us in all circumstances, even those we do not understand, is the one thing we can control.

I really don't think our loving Father's plan is the suffering itself. If we look to the cross and the suffering of his son, Jesus, we know that it was the outcome of his suffering that brought new life to all.

Our human suffering can be seen as a pathway to renewed life, and this brings about a very real experience of hope.

Should we believe in miracles? Absolutely, even today.

If you are struggling, here is a link to an online healing retreat I came across.  They do give you an opportunity to donate--or to skip paying altogether.

I have never taken it, so I can't make a personal recommendation, but it looks good. I hope you will check it out.

Here's the link:

https://praymoreretreat.org/2026-healing-retreat/ 

Pray for peace, joy, 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