Need

God turns all things to the GOOD…

Jonah Leaves the Whale's Belly (Tintoretto)

So much of faith relies on humility.

It seems to me that it is no coincidence that the Original Sin of Adam and Eve was a sin of pride and disobedience.  After all, the opposite of faith is pride, which is also the opposite of humility.  You see, when a person is humble, they can believe in a power greater than they are.  If they are humble, they can take instructions from their God.  If they are humble, they can ask God for things and wait patiently while He determines whether they need the thing they are requesting…

Christ told us in the Gospel…  “Ask, and it will be given you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For every one who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. Or what man of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!” (Matthew 7:7-12).God always provides for us.  But what is important is to remember what it is that we are asking Him to provide.  After all, it is one thing to make requests expecting a favourable answer.  God, please heal my loved one who is sick.  Sometimes God says no to that.  Or at least it appears that way.  In fact, what God is really saying is YES.  Yes, He will heal my sick loved one.  Yes, He will heal them – but not physically.  He will heal them spiritually, emotionally.  He will use this sickness, which is bad and wrong and evil and against His Holy Plan, to make this person’s soul well.

God turns all things to the GOOD…

When my children are hungry, I sometimes make them experience their hunger for an extended time while I prepare their meal.  I sometimes ask them to wait and go without any food at all because I do not want them to eat food that will not nourish them and instead, I want them to eat nutritious food.  And while in the short term my children may consider me very unfair for not providing them with food quickly, in the longer term this means that my children are able to be nourished even though they seem hungry in the shorter term.

And I have been thinking about this today as I pray to my God.  For my God sends me all the things that I need and often this means that I do not receive the things that I merely want.  And that is a serious thing.  For it is far more rewarding to give something wanted rather than something needed.  My children will happily eat junk food instead of a wholesome dinner.  And yet, I need to provide them with that wholesome dinner none-the-less – because that is what is best for them.

And I have been thinking about that today.  Because I need so very much – more than I could ever even know…

For with prayer, I stand on Holy Ground where everything is clear. Here. At the Foot of the Cross.