#god's answer

patience waits for God's answer,

panic collapses

the ground on which hope belongs

we must choose which we believe.

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What are we doing here? Where is this all going?

There are a lot of ways to answer that one. But most of them are just variations on the famous line from Charlotte’s Web, “We’re born, we live a little while, we die.”

That may be a common answer. But it’s not God’s answer.

God’s answer is very different. We see it in today’s Gospel, where Jesus explains the whole point of the Incarnation, the “why” behind Good Friday, as He is praying to God the Father – “That the love with which You loved Me may be in them and I in them.”

If that seems a little abstract (at least it does for me), St. Irenaeus of Lyons gets to the point – “Jesus Christ, in His infinite love, has become what we are, in order that He may make us entirely what He is.”

That is God’s answer to the “where is this all going” question.

If you’re thinking “why haven’t I heard this before?” maybe that’s my fault. Because (as a deacon) I say a version of this at every Mass.

If you’ve ever noticed, there are some prayers that the priest says so softly that you can barely hear them. Why?

It’s not because they’re secrets or anything bad (you can look up the words in the Missal). It’s because in those moments, the priest is speaking directly with God, one to one. Given the intimacy of those moments, it’s just natural to speak softly.

As a deacon, I have one of those moments during Mass as well. Where I speak softly, because I’m speaking directly with God, one to one. It happens when I add the water to the wine.

And in that moment, the Church says to me – when you talk with God, remember God’s people. Lift them up to God. Ask God to bring to pass what Jesus is saying in today’s Gospel.

That’s why my quiet prayer – the quiet prayer of every deacon – is this, “By the mystery of this water and wine, may we come to share in the divinity of Christ, who humbled Himself to share in our humanity.”

That’s why I say God meets us where we are, but God loves us too much to leave us there.

Because that is where it’s all going.

(Psalms 17:15)

Start each day seeking God’s presence and finding satisfaction in him. This is the heart of what prayer is all about. It is not about asking for things; it is about seeking God’s face and enjoying ‘sweet communion with Him and be satisfied with seeing His likeness.'

A few days back I was thinking to myself that I haven’t had a good long walk for a while now. And so, God, as usual, answered my heart’s desire in the most unexpected way. I just got out of the bank after my duty and the rain hasn’t stopped pouring. I couldn’t actually say that it was just a rain because it was more like a storm (well, a typhoon is on its way)… It was around 6pm and if it were a usual day, it would have been still sunny but considering the time of the year and the LPA, it is already very dark outside plus very wet… I’ve already walked some distance but I still couldn’t find a ride. Almost all rides were occupied and I’m starting to get really soaked so I decided to just walk home…and it’s still quite a good distance away from where I am. Instead of being angry about my situation, like my usual reaction… I just smiled and realized that once again, God has answered my prayers… in the most unusual way and most unexpected time.

The Devil's Lie: Why should I work hard for someone I don't respect?