What about YOUR sins?

 

 

I've always wondered how, after spending all that time with Jesus, Judas missed Jesus' message of forgiveness. 

After learning of the consequence of his betrayal, rather than turning to Jesus in his great remorse, Judas took his own life into his hands. 

While the events of the betrayal and the arrest of Jesus needed to play out, Jesus didn't condemn Judas. Judas condemned himself for his sin.

During this Holy Week, it is a good time for us to think about how often we condemn ourselves and just assume that God won't forgive our sins. As we watch the events play out and clearly see that Jesus died for us, we still stubbornly refuse to believe THAT sin can be forgiven, so, like Judas, we think all is lost and turn away from Jesus.

This is not the work of God. God doesn't want us to stay away from him. He wants us to believe in his saving action. He wants us to experience his grace that will be poured out on us as both forgiveness and love.

Take some time this week to reflect on the Gospel of Matthew, Chapters 26 and 27 and turn toward the cross. Seek the forgiveness and healing of which you are in need.

Come to appreciate the saving act of Jesus.  

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 

 

 

 

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