Patientia Necessaria | Perseverance Needed

"So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised." - Hebrews 10:35-36 (NIV)

Faith is confidence. This is a very powerful scripture. We need to have confidence that God will do what He says He will. Sometimes we do what God says and we look around and the people that are doing bad stuff seem a lot happier and content than we are; or the promised blessings don't come immediately. That can be really frustrating, because we often don't have a lot of patience. We want the rewards NOW, and we often think that making any effort at all deserves a standing ovation, because it was hard for us to do. 

For me personally, I love this passage. God is Good. For the past week I felt like God was abandoning me, because I was running into all kinds of problems that have been burdening me. But I decided to pray and let God does His will. In this passage I felt like GOD is speaking directly to me. He wants me to do His will and everything will be added to me. Many things happen and He answers my prayer. Thank you Lord. I love the Lord with all my heart!!!  I will continue to love and trust in HIM. 

Waiting can certainly be frustrating, and sometimes the answer we get from God is a no. Not everyone will get what they want in this life, but if we face our challenges with faith, God will make everything right in the end.

The tough thing to remember is that this life is a test, and we have to pass it. We have to do God's will and then not abandon it immediately if something else looks temporarily more fun. Patience is part of the package. Just like a child, when his parents teach him to read and write and walk and talk. He can't do things exactly like a grown-up immediately. 

Learning takes time, and so do the blessings of God. He is mindful of us always, and He is applauding when we do things that are hard for us. He wants to reward us for even the smallest efforts but He also needs to give us things at the right time, and in the right way. He knows the timing best, we don't.

So today, let's do good, and trust God. He will give us the desires of our hearts, and bless us beyond imagination - if we can be patient and remember who we are for a little while. 

Reflection on Hebrews 10: 35-36 by Sr. Merry CM

(Listen to the Podcast here)

Et hoc anno (Lk. 13:8)

 

"Sir, let this tree grow for another year. I will dig up the soil around it and fertilize it. Maybe next year it will bear fruit. If not, cut it! "

Jesus’ word in today's gospel teaches us about God's patience. Be patient with His people who always commit the same sins and mistakes. He is tolerant of us who often do not appreciate His creation and who are not grateful for all the received gifts. How patient and forgiving our God is. Since we were born, each of us carried out our missions. Unfortunately, not everyone is fully aware of that. Nowadays, many people live in vanity. Some youth and even adults enjoy parties, drink alcohol, and consume narcotics. These have set a trend of life in big cities. Their lives are wasted in vain while in other parts of the world, there are still many poor and homeless people who die because of hunger—what a sad reality.  

On various occasions, God still opens-up opportunities for us to come to repent and return to Him, do as many good deeds as possible so that someday we could enjoy eternal life. When someone is still alive after experiencing a deadly accident while driving a car or motorcycle and being drunk, that is God's time to show His great love and compassion. When there are heavy floods and severe earthquakes, and many people die, God rebukes, awakens, and reminds us that our life is just like leaves. Today, it is still green and fresh, but,  tomorrow it will turn yellow and withered, fall, and return to the ground. Until when do we last on the path of iniquity? It's not too late to return to God's way. Before God, we are like a shady tree without fruit. While the Gardener is still patient, let us try to stretch the roots as far as possible to find the source of water, namely God Himself.  Peace of God be with you all. 

By Sr. Yanti Purnawati, SFSC.

In domum tuam (Ps 5:8)

 

We sometimes experience that God is far away. We pray but there is no answer. We feel lonely and abandoned by God. It can happen because of two reasons. Either we committed sins and consequently, we cannot hear the divine voice in our hearts, or God wants to check our fidelity and piety.

Obviously, the proud person is not able to listen to the gentle voice of the Holy Spirit. Similarly, if we make mistakes and commit sins in our deeds, thoughts, and talks, we are not able to tune our souls with the sound from heaven.  

However, it is also possible that we live a holy life, but God’s voice can’t be heard. It was true in the life of many saints, like Saint Teresa of Calcutta. Even though she was a person who prayed a lot and helped thousands of people, she went through the night of the senses. She experienced desert in her spiritual life. Nevertheless, the Lord protected her and led her in all her ministries.

We are to learn from the example of such people who were close to God. We are also invited to pay attention to the word of God. Although we sometimes feel abandoned and cannot recognize the message of God, we should not give up. On the contrary, we are to trust in God more and more.

We always can find shelter in the Lord. As God’s beloved children, we are obliged to love him with our whole heart.

O Lord, help us be patient, especially during our prayers. Send your Holy Spirit so we could listen to you carefully. We are waiting for you. Please, enlighten our minds and souls. Cleanse us from our weaknesses and sins. We want to hear your voice. Make us yours and teach us wisdom. Do not let us get depressed but strengthen us in our endeavors and plans. Amen.

By Fr. Jozef Trzebuniak, SVD.