Memorial of Saint Ignatius of Antioch, Bishop and Martyr

With the Lord there is mercy, and fullness of redemption. I trust in the LORD; my soul trusts in his word. My soul waits for the LORD more than sentinels wait for the dawn.

Trusting in God means that sometimes we have to wait for Him. We need to learn patience and allow God to work in His own time. He knows better than us when we need help and what help is best for us. We might have our own notions about how God can help us, but they are not necessarily the best ways He can aid us. We can often grow impatience and upset when God seems to fail to answer our pleas, but that is our own selfishness blinding us to God’s work in our lives. He will never abandon us, we have only to bear our crosses and trust in His Saving Graces, which will come when and where it is most needed.

Do we trust in God and His Word? Are we patient enough to wait for His Help? Do we recognize all God is doing for us even in the midst of our trials?

O Lord, we wait for you more than sentinels wait for the dawn.

Amen.

Eighteenth Monday of Ordinary Time

When Moses heard the people, family after family, crying at the entrance of their tents, so that the LORD became very angry, he was grieved. “Why do you treat your servant so badly?” Moses asked the Lord. “Why are you so displeased with me that you burden me with all this people?”

There are times in our lives when we feel overwhelmed by what is going on. We might be ill, persecuted, sorrowful, fearful, or any number of things and pray to God for a way out. We might be upset with God because we are in a rut and don’t have a sense of progress in our lives. We might be angry that others are complaining to or about us. We might wonder why God is treating us so badly after all we have done for Him in our lives. We might even worry we’ve done something wrong and are being punished for it. All these feelings are part of being human, we know, love, and serve imperfectly and so time and time again we find something we can grumble about. However, if we trust God and prayerfully ask for His help, He will give it to us and we will eventually find our burdens lifted, the obstacles in our way removed, and our spirits renewed. We simply must be patient and let not our hearts be troubled by worldly things, nor should we allow our minds to become so prideful we mistakenly believe God owes us in some way. Whatever aid He gives comes as a gift, not a repayment.

What do we grumble about? How can we let go of our grumblings and trust in God’s Divine Providence? How can we remind ourselves doing God’s Will is not a burden, but an opportunity to grow in faith, hope, and love?

O Lord, protect us from the temptation to complain about our lives.

Amen.

The Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time

“Today this Scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing.” And all spoke highly of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his mouth. They also asked, “Isn’t this the son of Joseph?” He said to them, “Surely you will quote me this proverb, ‘Physician, cure yourself,’ and say, ‘Do here in your native place the things that we heard were done in Capernaum.’” And he said, “Amen, I say to you, no prophet is accepted in his own native place.”

In this gospel, we are given the example of people who initially speak highly of Jesus, but because of their familiarity with him, they expect him to perform miracles for them just as he did in Capernaum. However, Jesus tells them that there will be no miracle for them. The people in the synagogue were filled with fury at this and tried to kill him, but Jesus walks away from them unharmed. Just like the people in the synagogue, we can sometimes begin to expect God to take care of our problems and console us as a sign of his love. But God’s Love is a gift freely given. We cannot demand how and when He manifests His Love for us. In addition, just because God loves us does not mean He will do everything we want, when we want it, and exactly the way we want it. Sometimes sacrifice and sufferings on our part are necessary for our spiritual growth. Also, God never forces us to follow His Will, and as such He allows us to doubt Him and deny His Love just as the people in the synagogue did so long ago. He lets us grow furious with Him, while He continues to love us in spite of our complaints. Perhaps we would do better if we complained less and loved more.

Do we expect God to perform miracles or give us consolations in our lives? Are we willing to see our sacrifices and sufferings, not as punishment or abandonment by God, but as opportunities to grow in our faith? What can we do to remind ourselves of God’s Love even when things aren’t going our way?

O Lord, cure us of our impatience and demanding natures.

Amen.