Reflection on Child-like Trust in Christ

(This is a repost from my Facebook. Thought it would be good for the first blog post)

O Mary, my queen and my mother, I give myself entirely to you. And in proof of my affection, I give you my eyes, my ears, my tongue, my heart, my whole being without reserve. Since I am your own, keep me and guard me as your property and possession.

Our Lady of Fatima, pray for us.

I know I don't tend to use Facebook very often, but in this time of Eastertide, I would like to share a few things.

As some of you may know, I tend to get stressed about the littlest things and sometimes am fearful of not knowing what the future holds. The anxiety that has creep in my life has caused fear and worry. But, one day as I was doing some Bible readings I came across the verse St. Matthew 6:25-27.

"Therefore I say to you, be not solicitous for your life, what you shall eat, nor for your body, what you shall put on. Is not the life more than the meat: and the body more than the raiment? Behold the birds of the air, for they neither sow, nor do they reap, nor gather into barns: and your heavenly Father feedth them. Are not you of much more value than they? And which of you by taking thought, can add to his stature by one cubit? And for raiment why are you solicitous? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they labour not, neither do they spin. But I say to you, that not even Solomon in all his glory was arrayed as one of these. And if the grass of the field, which is today, and tomorrow cast into the oven, God doth so clothe: how much more you, O ye of little faith?"

Reflecting upon this passage I came to a few realizations.

First, when we are caught in habitual sin, we should not necessarily say, "I need to stop this because I am a terrible person. How could God love me when He sees me fall over and over?" We should rather say something along the lines of, "God have mercy on me a sinner. Help me to repent my evil ways and to love and honor you better through breaking the chains of my sin." This allowing of God to enter into your life takes away the pride. When we say we are not worthy of God's mercy, it may be true, but that demeans God's desire to welcome home the repentant sinner. We must never lose the hope of receiving God's mercy no matter how dark the world seems to be.

Second, whenever we tend to worry about the future and what is to come, it normally will begin with uncertainty or difficulty. How many times do we wish we were in control of every aspect of our lives? I don't know about you who are reading, but for me it is very often. One thing though that I have been learning from prayer and spiritual direction through my confessions is, God allows the specifics of our future, in most cases, to be blinded from us because He loves us. Think of a child. Isn't a child so much more excited when they do not know the gift that is to come to them? Doesn't Christ call us to be like children? When we were children, we expected our parents to provide for us. Dinner on the table, school, trips, clothing. Why should we have any different thought when it comes to our Father and Mother in heaven. When we do not know the particulars of our future, let us give glory to God. When we have to go through suffering, whether physical, mental, emotional, or spiritual, let us give glory to God. When we know how to suffer well, we learn to be like Christ and that is the ultimate goal of life. For when we come to be like Christ, that is when we are able to enter the kingdom of heaven, for it is only through Christ that we see the Father.

In this time of confusion, I pray that God will soon at least let us return to the Holy Mass and other sacraments of Holy Mother Church. I also pray that Mother Mary will console the sick and dying, especially those who must die alone. Remember that God has foreseen all of eternity and His permissive Will allows small or large sufferings into our lives, but as 1 Corinthians 10:13 says:

"Let no temptation take hold on you, but such as is human. And God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that which you are able: but will make also with temptation issue, that you may be able to bear it"

May the souls of the faithfully departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.

God bless, Patrick