"Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering,
for He who promised is faithful."
Hebrews 10: 23
Not one of us has the power to save or justify himself. Each one of us is completely dependent on God's mercy and grace. It is imperative that we trust in the God Who wants to save us (1 Timothy 2:4) and that He will provide for our needs (Philippians 4: 19) as we cope with life's challenges.
Why is it so easy for us to forget this? There are so many reasons really. One significant reason is that we have come to distrust others. The media saturates us with horrible stories of crime and human suffering, we witness corporate fraud and CEO's making themselves rich at the expense of others; politicians who only seem interested in lining their own pockets and not in truly representing their constituents. Others may hurt us through their words or actions.
So many times others have told me, "I don't trust anyone." Or, "I just don't know who to trust anymore." And the common good suffers. St. Paul tells us, "Have no anxiety at all, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God. Then the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4: 6, 7)
There is so much cynicism. So much fear. Many no longer trust in the God-Man because they have lost their faith in their fellow man and as a result find it so hard to honestly believe that there is Someone waiting to grab them as they make that leap of faith into the dark unknown which awaits. But we can, with the help of God's grace, overcome this fear and anxiety. Few of us have suffered as much as Margot and Anne Frank did at the hands of others. These two sisters - and other family members - were discovered in their hiding place by the Nazis. They were sent to the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp. After seven months Anne Frank, whose diary would be acclaimed the world over, would die of typhus within days of the death of her sister Margot. She was fifteen years old. And although she and her family were treated so harshly by others, this precious girl wrote in her diary, "Despite everything, I believe that people are really good at heart."
Let's pray with St. Ignatius of Loyola (the Founder of the Society of Jesus - the Jesuits):
"O Christ Jesus, when all is darkness
and we feel our weakness and helplessness,
give us the sense of Your presence,
Your love, and Your strength.
Help us to have perfect trust in Your
protecting love and strengthening power,
so that nothing may frighten or worry us, for,
living close to You, we shall see Your hand,
Your purpose, Your will through all things."
Amen.
3 comments:
There is so much turmoil across every sector of society that I have been feeling very stressed. Your post is really appreciated. We do fear things too much. While we have to acknowledge the present reality, we DO NOT have to be fearful...GBU Paul.
What a positively beautiful prayer and comforting post Paul. May Our Lady bless you for your courageous witness.
A timely reminder of what we've lost by succumbing to fear and negativity. It's one thing to acknowledge the reality of sin and evil (we cannot live like ostriches), but neither do we have to give into discouragement. We must pray for the theological virtue of hope. Thank you forthis post Paul.
Post a Comment