ST. ANDREW
St. Andrew is the patron saint for fishermen.
The first call that shaped Andrew's life was the very timing and place of his birth. Born as a Hebrew child in the time of Christ, Andrew grew up with his brother, Simon Peter, in Bethsaida, a city on the Northern edge of the lake of Galilee. It was a wealthy city because of its flourishing fishing industry. Bethsaida literally means House of Fishermen.
The second call that shaped Andrew's life came through John the Baptist. Andrew was an alert young man longing for the coming of the Messiah when he first heard the preaching of John.
His third call came from Jesus himself. Among the followers of John, Andrew and another disciple were the only ones we know of who responded when the Baptist pointed to Jesus as the Messiah. They went and asked Jesus where he was staying, and he invited them to come and see. Andrew is the Protoclete, the first to be called by Jesus to deeper intimacy, and the first to bring the invitation to someone else, his brother, Simon Peter.
The fourth call that shaped Andrew's life was to follow Jesus, to be his disciple, a student in daily contact with Jesus, walking and talking with him, listening and learning from the Master, as from a Rabbi. His commitment to follow Jesus was without reserve, without regret, without recall.
The fifth call that changed Andrew's life was his selection by Jesus as one of the twelve apostles, to give witness, to preach, to bring others to Christ. Andrew, the student, was chosen to become a teacher sent by Christ.
His sixth call St. Gregory Nazianzen, St. Jerome, and St. Paulinus tell us that after Pentecost Andrew became an apostle to people in the land of Greece and bordering countries.
The final call in Andrew's life was to martyrdom by crucifixion on an X shaped cross in Achaia. Here his untapped potential for making the ultimate sacrifice, the supreme witness to Christ, was fully realized. Andrew lived up to the meaning of his name with manly courage. "O good cross," he said, "I have ardently loved you, long have I desired and sought you, receive me gladly into your arms, take me from among men, present me to my Lord."
In addition to this scanty information, we learn from the fourth Gospel that on the occasion of the miraculous feeding of the five thousand, it was Andrew who said: "There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fishes: but what are these among so many?" (John 6:8-9); and when, a few days before Our Lord's death, certain Greeks asked Philips that they might see Jesus, Philip referred the matter to Andrew as to one of greater authority, and then both told Christ (John 12:20-22).
It is believed that after Our Lord ascended into Heaven, St. Andrew went to Greece to preach the gospel. He is said to have been put to death on a cross, to which he was tied, not nailed. He lived two days in that state of suffering, still preaching to the people who gathered around their beloved Apostle. Two countries have chosen St. Andrew as their patron - Russia and Scotland. It is believed that after Our Lord ascended into Heaven, St. Andrew went to Greece to preach the gospel. He is said to have been put to death on a cross, to which he was tied, not nailed. He lived two days in that state of suffering, still preaching to the people who gathered around their beloved Apostle. Two countries have chosen St. Andrew as their patron - Russia and Scotland.
Andrew's vocation, and ours as well, wasn't given all at once, but gradually. Seven calls from the Lord built one upon the other throughout the course of his life. Andrew's response to each call gave new shape to his life and prepared him for the next gift of God. This courageous boy, by purity of heart and docile obedience to God's will became in St. Bede's words, "The Introducer to Christ." He not only introduced his brother to Jesus, and the Greeks and Scythians, but each year his feast introduces us to the season of Advent, reminding us to wonder at our place in the great scheme of things, our untapped potential, and how Jesus will call us to even greater intimacy with him.
Thursday, November 29, 2007
Friday, November 23, 2007
Solemnity of Christ the King
My dear brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ,
Jesus never claimed to be a king. There is nothing in the scriptures that is clearer than that Jesus rejected the whole idea of being a king! Then you may have a question ; Why then do we have the feast of Christ the King? Why do we go against the words of Jesus and try to make him a king? Well, I don't think I have a perfect answer, but it is an answer, I guess. When Pope Pius XI established this feast in 1925 he wrote a document to explain why and he said: "Because the people of the day" -- of that time -- "had thrust/push Jesus Christ and his holy law out of their lives."
They were rejecting Jesus. Again the words of Pius XI: "And these [the ways of Jesus] had no place in public affairs or in politics." as long as individuals and states refuse to submit to the rule, or the way of our savior, there will be no hopeful prospect of a lasting peace among nations."
We usually think of a king as someone with a lot of authority and maybe with some personal privileges. Today’s Gospel scene, then, either corrects or confirms the image we have of Christ as King. After all, the description of Christ as King in St. Luke’s Gospel is surely very different and seemingly strange. Christ’s Kingly crown? A crown of thorns. His royal robe? A soldier’s uniform cloak, thrown around His bloody shoulders in mockery and contempt. Christ’s royal jewelry? Nails driven through His flesh. And His Kingly throne? A cross of shame between two criminals. Yes, a very different and seemingly strange sort of King. And yet, King He is.
Jesus reminded them that the son of man did not come into this world to be served but to serve and to give his service even to the point of giving his life.
That is what we see on the cross. He is hanging on the cross, and even there he is being a servant, reaching out to that criminal who recognizes him for who he really is. Not as a king, but as a son of God. Jesus serves him by responding, "Yes, today you will be with me in paradise." Jesus was serving even to the point of giving his life.
Most of us don’t countenance very well the idea of subjecting ourselves to another’s power. Instead, we think about ourselves as being “lord” of our lives, oftentimes behaving under the false pretense that we really and truly are lord of our lives. All too frequently, however, life has its own way of teaching us some very harsh lessons through which discover that we really and truly are not the “lord” of our lives. People and things we’ve taken for granted suddenly disappear like the flowers of summer and we find ourselves standing alone in the autumn of our lives. We surely do like to think that we are lord of our lives; but, the truth is, we don’t even have the power to protect ourselves from the common cold!
As Pope John Paul II said: “Christ reigns over the universe, which he created. He is king because he is Creator. The Church proclaims the work of creation and ‘through the work of creation’; she proclaims ‘the reign of God’ in the world”
When Pilate asked-- "Are you a king?" -- In a sense Jesus says, "Alright, you say it. I am a king." But then immediately he wants Pilate to know that he is not a king in the sense of anyone having sovereignty over another, not a king with power, coercion, armies, wealth, prestige. No, Jesus only agrees to be called king according to the interpretation that he gives, "Yes, I'm a king, but the source of my being a king doesn't come from this world." He makes the obvious point, "Of course if I were a king like your king I would have an army. I wouldn't be a helpless person standing here bound in front of you. People would be fighting on my behalf, but I'm not that kind of a king. My kingdom does not come from this world. It's not out of this source. The only kind of reign I have is one that comes from God." And so therefore as Jesus defines his being a king, "I am a witness to the truth and if only you would hear my truth, the world could be changed. The reign of God could happen."
As one who gives witness to the truth, Jesus reminds us that the only power God uses, and that he would use as king, is the power of truth, the power of love. That's what can change everything. Not violence. Not force. Not coercion. Love. Being the shepherd who lays down his life for his sheep. Being the one who declares to his disciples, "Greater love than this no one has than to lay down your life for your friend. And you are my friend." So he's telling them, "I lay down my life for you." That's the kind of kingship Jesus exercises. Love . . . caring for people . . . reaching out to the poor and giving them their dignity and their worth.
God reminds us in the book of Isaiah, “Your thoughts are not my thoughts, nor are your ways my ways. As high as the heavens are above the earth, so high are my ways above your ways and my thoughts above your thoughts” (Is 55:8-9).
Even one of the crucified criminals, the one that tradition calls Gestas, joins in on the ridicule. The Gospel states that he “reviled Jesus,” and each one of them said in their own words, “If you truly are Christ the King, then let’s see you save yourself.”
There is of course one more person in today’s Gospel that we cannot forget. Indeed, this is the one we should remember above all, since he is the one that is humble enough to realize that something greater is happening here: the one tradition calls Dismas, the good thief. What is his response to the idea that this crucified person next to him is a king? Recognizing somehow his kingly identity, he says, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” Dismas had faith, that is, he had evidence of things unseen. And with this act of faith, Jesus responds with the words that we would all like to hear at the end of our earthly life, “Amen, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.”
And so, my dear brothers and sisters, who is on the throne of your life? Where is your heart set? Who or what is your priceless treasure? If it’s ourselves, then we’re committing idolatry. If it’s worldly honors, power or material things, what profit is it to gain the whole world, yet lose your soul? If it is our spouse or family, you will be able to love them even more when Christ is at the center, teaching you how to love as He loves.
If it is anything or anyone but Christ the King, be not afraid to approach the throne of mercy, for as St. Paul reminds us in today’s second reading, “God the Father delivered us from the power of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.”
So my dear brothers and sisters in Christ, crown Jesus as Lord and King of your life.
Crown Him as King over your greatest worries and fears.
Crown Him as King over your seemingly insurmountable addictions or vice.
Crown Him as King over all your earthly blessings as well.
Crown Him as King over your precious family and relationships.
Crown Him as King over your life and your eternal destiny.
So that, at our last breath, we too may hear the Lord say, “Amen, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.”
In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
My dear brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ,
Jesus never claimed to be a king. There is nothing in the scriptures that is clearer than that Jesus rejected the whole idea of being a king! Then you may have a question ; Why then do we have the feast of Christ the King? Why do we go against the words of Jesus and try to make him a king? Well, I don't think I have a perfect answer, but it is an answer, I guess. When Pope Pius XI established this feast in 1925 he wrote a document to explain why and he said: "Because the people of the day" -- of that time -- "had thrust/push Jesus Christ and his holy law out of their lives."
They were rejecting Jesus. Again the words of Pius XI: "And these [the ways of Jesus] had no place in public affairs or in politics." as long as individuals and states refuse to submit to the rule, or the way of our savior, there will be no hopeful prospect of a lasting peace among nations."
We usually think of a king as someone with a lot of authority and maybe with some personal privileges. Today’s Gospel scene, then, either corrects or confirms the image we have of Christ as King. After all, the description of Christ as King in St. Luke’s Gospel is surely very different and seemingly strange. Christ’s Kingly crown? A crown of thorns. His royal robe? A soldier’s uniform cloak, thrown around His bloody shoulders in mockery and contempt. Christ’s royal jewelry? Nails driven through His flesh. And His Kingly throne? A cross of shame between two criminals. Yes, a very different and seemingly strange sort of King. And yet, King He is.
Jesus reminded them that the son of man did not come into this world to be served but to serve and to give his service even to the point of giving his life.
That is what we see on the cross. He is hanging on the cross, and even there he is being a servant, reaching out to that criminal who recognizes him for who he really is. Not as a king, but as a son of God. Jesus serves him by responding, "Yes, today you will be with me in paradise." Jesus was serving even to the point of giving his life.
Most of us don’t countenance very well the idea of subjecting ourselves to another’s power. Instead, we think about ourselves as being “lord” of our lives, oftentimes behaving under the false pretense that we really and truly are lord of our lives. All too frequently, however, life has its own way of teaching us some very harsh lessons through which discover that we really and truly are not the “lord” of our lives. People and things we’ve taken for granted suddenly disappear like the flowers of summer and we find ourselves standing alone in the autumn of our lives. We surely do like to think that we are lord of our lives; but, the truth is, we don’t even have the power to protect ourselves from the common cold!
As Pope John Paul II said: “Christ reigns over the universe, which he created. He is king because he is Creator. The Church proclaims the work of creation and ‘through the work of creation’; she proclaims ‘the reign of God’ in the world”
When Pilate asked-- "Are you a king?" -- In a sense Jesus says, "Alright, you say it. I am a king." But then immediately he wants Pilate to know that he is not a king in the sense of anyone having sovereignty over another, not a king with power, coercion, armies, wealth, prestige. No, Jesus only agrees to be called king according to the interpretation that he gives, "Yes, I'm a king, but the source of my being a king doesn't come from this world." He makes the obvious point, "Of course if I were a king like your king I would have an army. I wouldn't be a helpless person standing here bound in front of you. People would be fighting on my behalf, but I'm not that kind of a king. My kingdom does not come from this world. It's not out of this source. The only kind of reign I have is one that comes from God." And so therefore as Jesus defines his being a king, "I am a witness to the truth and if only you would hear my truth, the world could be changed. The reign of God could happen."
As one who gives witness to the truth, Jesus reminds us that the only power God uses, and that he would use as king, is the power of truth, the power of love. That's what can change everything. Not violence. Not force. Not coercion. Love. Being the shepherd who lays down his life for his sheep. Being the one who declares to his disciples, "Greater love than this no one has than to lay down your life for your friend. And you are my friend." So he's telling them, "I lay down my life for you." That's the kind of kingship Jesus exercises. Love . . . caring for people . . . reaching out to the poor and giving them their dignity and their worth.
God reminds us in the book of Isaiah, “Your thoughts are not my thoughts, nor are your ways my ways. As high as the heavens are above the earth, so high are my ways above your ways and my thoughts above your thoughts” (Is 55:8-9).
Even one of the crucified criminals, the one that tradition calls Gestas, joins in on the ridicule. The Gospel states that he “reviled Jesus,” and each one of them said in their own words, “If you truly are Christ the King, then let’s see you save yourself.”
There is of course one more person in today’s Gospel that we cannot forget. Indeed, this is the one we should remember above all, since he is the one that is humble enough to realize that something greater is happening here: the one tradition calls Dismas, the good thief. What is his response to the idea that this crucified person next to him is a king? Recognizing somehow his kingly identity, he says, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” Dismas had faith, that is, he had evidence of things unseen. And with this act of faith, Jesus responds with the words that we would all like to hear at the end of our earthly life, “Amen, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.”
And so, my dear brothers and sisters, who is on the throne of your life? Where is your heart set? Who or what is your priceless treasure? If it’s ourselves, then we’re committing idolatry. If it’s worldly honors, power or material things, what profit is it to gain the whole world, yet lose your soul? If it is our spouse or family, you will be able to love them even more when Christ is at the center, teaching you how to love as He loves.
If it is anything or anyone but Christ the King, be not afraid to approach the throne of mercy, for as St. Paul reminds us in today’s second reading, “God the Father delivered us from the power of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.”
So my dear brothers and sisters in Christ, crown Jesus as Lord and King of your life.
Crown Him as King over your greatest worries and fears.
Crown Him as King over your seemingly insurmountable addictions or vice.
Crown Him as King over all your earthly blessings as well.
Crown Him as King over your precious family and relationships.
Crown Him as King over your life and your eternal destiny.
So that, at our last breath, we too may hear the Lord say, “Amen, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.”
In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Thursday, November 22, 2007
Happy Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving 2007
Grace and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ to you my dear brothers and sisters on this Thanksgiving Day. This is a good thanksgiving celebration coming together before the Lord to give thanks to Him for all what he is doing for us .Always look on the bright side of life that will keep us going.
Today when we look at our life thanking God we realize that "Our Cup Runes Over". God blessed us with everything.Because our cup runes over and we can drink from the saucer, we should remember those whose cups are empty and have been for a long time. They are not far from us. They may live in your own community or even be in your own church (maybe your own family). There are certainly many out there all over the world who have so little. We have so much. Let us find ways to share the abundance of our blessings with them. That is perhaps one of the best ways to celebrate the Thanksgiving day today.
This Thanksgiving Day is essentially acting out of an attitude: An attitude of gratitude. It is a great national recognition that we have been blessed by God.
Today, Thanksgiving Day is a family time. If you have ever been forced by circumstances to be away from your family on Thanksgiving Day, you have experienced a true feeling of loneliness. Thanksgiving Day defines family. We gather together and ask the blessing, we say grace, thanking God for the bounty and for His promise for continued blessings. Hardly anybody skips grace on this great day.Learning to be thankful, whether to God or to other people, is the best vaccination against taking good fortune for granted. And the less you take for granted, the more pleasure and joy life will bring you. If you never give a moment's thought to the fact that your health is good, that your children are well-fed, that your home is comfortable, that your nation is at peace, if you assume that the good things in your life are ''normal'' and to be expected, you diminish the happiness they can bring you. By contrast, if you train yourself to reflect on how much worse off you could be, if you develop the custom of counting your blessings and being grateful for them, you will fill your life with cheer. Be thankful. Don't take the gifts in your life for granted. Remember - as the Pilgrims remembered - that we are impoverished without each other, and without God. Whoever and wherever you are this Thanksgiving, the good in your life outweighs the bad. If that doesn't deserve our gratitude, what does? Always look on the bright side of life because really and truly our cup is running over. Let us finish with the blessing prayer of King Solomon (I Kings8: 55-61). “May the Lord, Our God, be with us as he was with our fathers and may he not forsake us nor cast us off. May he draw our hearts to himself, that we may follow him in everything and keep the commands, statues, and ordinances which he enjoyed on our fathers.”
May God Bless us all. Happy Thanksgiving Day to you all.
In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Grace and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ to you my dear brothers and sisters on this Thanksgiving Day. This is a good thanksgiving celebration coming together before the Lord to give thanks to Him for all what he is doing for us .Always look on the bright side of life that will keep us going.
Today when we look at our life thanking God we realize that "Our Cup Runes Over". God blessed us with everything.Because our cup runes over and we can drink from the saucer, we should remember those whose cups are empty and have been for a long time. They are not far from us. They may live in your own community or even be in your own church (maybe your own family). There are certainly many out there all over the world who have so little. We have so much. Let us find ways to share the abundance of our blessings with them. That is perhaps one of the best ways to celebrate the Thanksgiving day today.
This Thanksgiving Day is essentially acting out of an attitude: An attitude of gratitude. It is a great national recognition that we have been blessed by God.
Today, Thanksgiving Day is a family time. If you have ever been forced by circumstances to be away from your family on Thanksgiving Day, you have experienced a true feeling of loneliness. Thanksgiving Day defines family. We gather together and ask the blessing, we say grace, thanking God for the bounty and for His promise for continued blessings. Hardly anybody skips grace on this great day.Learning to be thankful, whether to God or to other people, is the best vaccination against taking good fortune for granted. And the less you take for granted, the more pleasure and joy life will bring you. If you never give a moment's thought to the fact that your health is good, that your children are well-fed, that your home is comfortable, that your nation is at peace, if you assume that the good things in your life are ''normal'' and to be expected, you diminish the happiness they can bring you. By contrast, if you train yourself to reflect on how much worse off you could be, if you develop the custom of counting your blessings and being grateful for them, you will fill your life with cheer. Be thankful. Don't take the gifts in your life for granted. Remember - as the Pilgrims remembered - that we are impoverished without each other, and without God. Whoever and wherever you are this Thanksgiving, the good in your life outweighs the bad. If that doesn't deserve our gratitude, what does? Always look on the bright side of life because really and truly our cup is running over. Let us finish with the blessing prayer of King Solomon (I Kings8: 55-61). “May the Lord, Our God, be with us as he was with our fathers and may he not forsake us nor cast us off. May he draw our hearts to himself, that we may follow him in everything and keep the commands, statues, and ordinances which he enjoyed on our fathers.”
May God Bless us all. Happy Thanksgiving Day to you all.
In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Sunday, November 18, 2007
33rd sunday year C
Your perseverance will save you.
My dear brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ,
Today's readings seem to be all about terrible loss, nightmare, and calamity. Yet they should not be interpreted as bad news. They are given to remind us that in the face of loss and trials, God cares for each of us, and is willing to be with us. As we are coming to the end of the Church year, we are reminded that God has given us Wisdom.
We should not confuse the wisdom that God gives us with intelligence; or understanding everything that happens. The wisdom that God gives us is a certain way of looking at the world. Prophet Malachi lived in a time of terrible corruption and idolatry. It was such a dangerous time that Malachi is not even his real name. Yet in the midst of all the troubles, Malachi reminds the people that God has given them the wisdom to see things as they really are. He wants them to see that even in the midst of these struggles, God is sending his healing love to help them stand firm. We too are given that wisdom; for in the midst of difficulties, the person of faith does not simply complain, but looks for signs of God's healing love.
Our God is a good God who cares us about us. There is a prayer of a devotee to the Lord Vishnu:
“Lord, I ask you pardon me for three major sins; first, I went on pilgrimage to your many shrines, oblivious of your presence everywhere; second, I so often cried to you for help, forgetting that you are more concerned than I am about my welfare; and finally, here I am asking for forgiveness when I know that our sins are forgiven before we commit them.”
If we are committed to the Lord, Jesus, then we must trust in Him entirely. Our lives, our future, and present—all is in His hands and we must trust Him. Jesus said: Your perseverance will save you. When we ask for something from the good God, St. Thomas Aquinas says we will always obtain it so long as the prayer meets four conditions: 1) we pray for things necessary for salvation; 2) we pray for ourselves; 3) we pray piously; 4) we pray perseveringly. When these four elements concur in prayer, we will always obtain our request.1)When we pray for things related to our salvation, we meet the first condition of infallible prayer.
So, suppose a man prays to obtain some illicit pleasure from God. God will not hear him, for God will not help a man in sin. But suppose a man prays to overcome his poverty or recover his health. God may or may not hear him in reference to his salvation. If acquired riches or recovered health should assist the man to heaven, God will hear him, otherwise, He will not. For riches, health, fame, glory are so many non-things in comparison with heaven. And many have abandoned God when their health or wealth returned and now suffer hell fire, forever.2) Prayer for ourselves when we pray for something for ourselves we meet the second condition of infallible prayer.
When I pray for myself I humble myself and freely surrender my will to the will of Almighty God ~ a prerequisite for gaining salvation.
God honors man’s free will; He will never force a human will to love Him.
3) Prayer which is pious: Another word for pious is devout. The pious or devout man is one who wholly subjects himself to a superior. In religious terms, the pious man promptly gives his will over to things in the service of God. Contrary to this spirit of prayer is the man who asks to be liberated from a bad habit but does not remove the occasions of his sin. This man is not pious, but impious; and his prayer will go unheard.
4) Prayer which is persevering: Only God really knows what we need and when we need it while we guess and want it right away.
When we pray with unwavering patience, however, we fulfill the last condition of infallible prayer. And such is enjoined in Sacred Scripture: “We ought always to pray,” (Lk 18:1); “pray without ceasing,” (1 Thess. 5:17)
Perseverance in the spiritual life is a gift of God that no man can merit (Trent). But St. Augustine says we can obtain it by prayer: “if we ask for it daily, we may daily receive it.”
If our prayer is persevering, meaning continual and unflagging, then God will answer us in His time. And we will receive nothing better than what God gives, when He gives it. Our perseverance in prayer will save us and God will be always with us to help us.
If at first you don't succeed, then try, try again"!
Jesus tells us "not a hair of your head will be harmed." God wants to give you fullness of peace and life. So hang in there! Have courage; keep alive the patient endurance you need to keep struggling for peace and for justice in this broken world. Let us pray for the coming of the One who says don't be afraid, not a hair of our heads will be lost.
In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
My dear brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ,
Today's readings seem to be all about terrible loss, nightmare, and calamity. Yet they should not be interpreted as bad news. They are given to remind us that in the face of loss and trials, God cares for each of us, and is willing to be with us. As we are coming to the end of the Church year, we are reminded that God has given us Wisdom.
We should not confuse the wisdom that God gives us with intelligence; or understanding everything that happens. The wisdom that God gives us is a certain way of looking at the world. Prophet Malachi lived in a time of terrible corruption and idolatry. It was such a dangerous time that Malachi is not even his real name. Yet in the midst of all the troubles, Malachi reminds the people that God has given them the wisdom to see things as they really are. He wants them to see that even in the midst of these struggles, God is sending his healing love to help them stand firm. We too are given that wisdom; for in the midst of difficulties, the person of faith does not simply complain, but looks for signs of God's healing love.
Our God is a good God who cares us about us. There is a prayer of a devotee to the Lord Vishnu:
“Lord, I ask you pardon me for three major sins; first, I went on pilgrimage to your many shrines, oblivious of your presence everywhere; second, I so often cried to you for help, forgetting that you are more concerned than I am about my welfare; and finally, here I am asking for forgiveness when I know that our sins are forgiven before we commit them.”
If we are committed to the Lord, Jesus, then we must trust in Him entirely. Our lives, our future, and present—all is in His hands and we must trust Him. Jesus said: Your perseverance will save you. When we ask for something from the good God, St. Thomas Aquinas says we will always obtain it so long as the prayer meets four conditions: 1) we pray for things necessary for salvation; 2) we pray for ourselves; 3) we pray piously; 4) we pray perseveringly. When these four elements concur in prayer, we will always obtain our request.1)When we pray for things related to our salvation, we meet the first condition of infallible prayer.
So, suppose a man prays to obtain some illicit pleasure from God. God will not hear him, for God will not help a man in sin. But suppose a man prays to overcome his poverty or recover his health. God may or may not hear him in reference to his salvation. If acquired riches or recovered health should assist the man to heaven, God will hear him, otherwise, He will not. For riches, health, fame, glory are so many non-things in comparison with heaven. And many have abandoned God when their health or wealth returned and now suffer hell fire, forever.2) Prayer for ourselves when we pray for something for ourselves we meet the second condition of infallible prayer.
When I pray for myself I humble myself and freely surrender my will to the will of Almighty God ~ a prerequisite for gaining salvation.
God honors man’s free will; He will never force a human will to love Him.
3) Prayer which is pious: Another word for pious is devout. The pious or devout man is one who wholly subjects himself to a superior. In religious terms, the pious man promptly gives his will over to things in the service of God. Contrary to this spirit of prayer is the man who asks to be liberated from a bad habit but does not remove the occasions of his sin. This man is not pious, but impious; and his prayer will go unheard.
4) Prayer which is persevering: Only God really knows what we need and when we need it while we guess and want it right away.
When we pray with unwavering patience, however, we fulfill the last condition of infallible prayer. And such is enjoined in Sacred Scripture: “We ought always to pray,” (Lk 18:1); “pray without ceasing,” (1 Thess. 5:17)
Perseverance in the spiritual life is a gift of God that no man can merit (Trent). But St. Augustine says we can obtain it by prayer: “if we ask for it daily, we may daily receive it.”
If our prayer is persevering, meaning continual and unflagging, then God will answer us in His time. And we will receive nothing better than what God gives, when He gives it. Our perseverance in prayer will save us and God will be always with us to help us.
If at first you don't succeed, then try, try again"!
Jesus tells us "not a hair of your head will be harmed." God wants to give you fullness of peace and life. So hang in there! Have courage; keep alive the patient endurance you need to keep struggling for peace and for justice in this broken world. Let us pray for the coming of the One who says don't be afraid, not a hair of our heads will be lost.
In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
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