Today at Holy Mass we hear in the first reading about how Daniel was saved from the lion’s den…..Evil men plotted for Daniel to be killed…But against all odds, he was saved by the hand of God and as the story progressed, the ones who plotted to kill Daniel, they in turn were punished…..”At his order Daniel was removed from the den, unhurt because he trusted in his God. The king then ordered the men who had accused Daniel, along with their children and their wives, to be cast into the lions’ den”…….Daniel put his trust in the Lord, he radically trusted him…So the question today to ponder is - Do we trust him? - I mean really trust him?……To live by Divine Providence is difficult from the prospective of “the modern man”…..I can hear it now - ”What we need does not fall from the sky” - That is for certain!….We must work like everything is up to us and at the same time trust that God will provide….Again - Easier said then done…..To learn to trust in this manner in the Lord takes time…..However - Grace builds upon grace and so does trust….And with each struggle and obstacle that is overcome, one slowly begins to trust more and more that the Lord will provide….Why? - Because he does - He loves us and will never let us down!
“He is a deliverer and savior, working signs and wonders in heaven and on earth, and he delivered Daniel from the lions’ power”
We all need reminders…..Being a father of five children, my wife and I have trusted in the Lord our entire marriage and he has never let us down….But sometimes we worry…....We doubt….This is human and because of our shared humanity, he need to be reminded of God’s providence….For me, that comes when I visit Mother Teresa’s sisters…A few days ago, I spent the day with them in New York City….....They continue to form and teach me and for that I am forever grateful…..The Missionaries of Charity are all over the world…They feed, cloth and care for literally millions of people each year…..Now for the part you may not know…They do not solicit money - Did you hear that!…..All their donations are unsolicited…Think about that for a second….Think about how much money it takes to feed millions of people each year…....Never mind how much money it takes to provide for thousands of nuns who serve the poor in every corner of the world…....And they do not make anything, sell anything nor do they solicit a dime…I am telling you the truth…All their donations are unsolicited!…..This should teach us all something….When we do things God’s way - And we “do our part” - Guess what? - God will do his part and provide - Bet the farm on that!……My recent visit to the sisters was, as always, fruitful for me spiritually….They are an example for the entire Catholic world in my humble opinion - They are “the best of us”….As everyday Catholics in the pews around the world…As husbands, wives, fathers and mothers - Who have real concerns…Who are raising children in a world gone mad!….We must learn to trust the Lord….God will not always give us what we want - But God will ALWAYS give us what we need…..Our "modern" mindset needs to change and that happens only through God’s grace - God will provide…Just maybe not the way we “think” he will - But he will provide!
“Stand erect and raise your heads because your redemption is at hand”
The story of Daniel read to us at Mass today reminds us that God is a father…And as we all know, a good father provides for his children…..We must learn to trust God even more then we trust ourself…..God’s plan for our lives is infinitely better than our plan - Let me stop right there - Do you believe that?……I mean really believe that!……As Catholics, everything asked of us by the Catholic Church is possible - Again, let me stop right there - Do you believe that?…..The problem is, we do not trust - We trust ourselves more then God - A huge mistake…..Jesus invited St Peter to “get out of the boat” - He invites us too - To do the exact same thing! - We need to “get out of the boat” and venture into “the deep”…..Most of us do not do this - We want to be "comfortable" - Living a life that we tell ourself is in our control……This is not the life that Jesus invites us to live as Catholics…………We must venture into the deep - Knowing that God will provide....So give thanks ahead of time - Full of confidence and hope..........JMJ
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