Author: Jocelyn Soriano

I have recently wanted to spend the first moments of the day praying and finding inspiration from God. Honestly, I don’t know my next step in my career and this year is truly venturing into the unknown. While I must continue to search for a way to increase my income, I know that there is no better way to seek God’s will than by praying and spending time reflecting upon Him.

This is not my first attempt to spend a regular time in prayer each day. With prayer, I am not only referring to praying the rosary and other prayers I usually pray throughout the day. I am not only referring to reading the Bible. With prayer, I would like to refer to an extra time to get in touch with Him, to listen to Him and to speak to Him as I would speak to a beloved Friend.

It isn’t easy. There are a lot of distractions. Even the good work that we do can keep us from spending time with Him. Once I open my computer, I may just start by looking at my emails for the day, but sooner or later, I’d browsing the internet for other things until I’ve lost the chance to spend those first moments in prayer.
But we have to begin somewhere, and I felt that even 15 minutes is a good point to start. And that’s when I remembered the hourglass I have, which is timed just for that number of minutes.

I’ve decided that I would use it to just spend 15 minutes in quietness and in waiting. Even when I feel no inspiration. Even when I find no words to say. I would just sit still and spend 15 minutes at the start of the day as I ready myself for prayer.

If you have an hourglass like that and if you also want to spend this year growing closer with God, maybe you can use that hourglass to spend some time in silence and in prayer. You may feel a bit of struggle at first. You may not immediately feel that what you are doing is going anywhere. But stay still. Let that time pass and do what you can to simply await the grace of God.

I don’t know how You look like, Lord. I haven’t seen Your face. I cannot tell the color of your eyes. I cannot imagine the shape of your lips. Is your skin tanned by the sun? Is your hair black like mine?

Artists have tried to draw You. They tried to paint a picture of Your face. Through many generations, icons and paintings tried to show your glory and your humanity. But none can truly show Your beauty to me.

Many times I’ve felt like a blind person. Yet even a blind woman can touch her beloved’s face. She can trace the contours of her loved one’s countenance. She can feel the warmth of his hands.

But where do I even begin to imagine You? Where do I start to look for clues?

Ah, perhaps I should begin by watching those who are like You. In the face of the holy ones, maybe I could find someone who looks like You.

Through years of searching I’ve realized that this is so. And it doesn’t matter whether they’re tall or small. I care no more whether their eyes be brown or blue. For in every face where I see love, I know I’d see the likes of You.

It’s the first day of the year, and it is also the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God. How wonderful it is that at the very start of the year, we could spend it with Mary, our loving mother! With Mary, we begin with humility and trust as we venture into the unknown. With Mary, we can be led to Jesus, and with Jesus, no matter how dim the future may appear to us, we can have peace and hope.

Watching the online mass this morning, I was able to reflect upon the Holy Eucharist, and how Jesus has allowed Himself to be as a small bread for us all. To appear so simple and lowly as a piece of biscuit. Quiet and small and yet giving sustenance to His children.

I may never be able to fully comprehend this mystery. How Jesus can become this little bread that we can all share. In the same way, I’ve had this reflection in the form of a question: Which is harder? For a person to become bread? Or for a God to come down from heaven and become a person? Both things have happened, and both mysteries leave us blessed with the thought of God’s humility and compassion.

Today, in a feast we celebrate in honor of Mary, the Mother of God, I was led into this reflection about Jesus her Son. And such is what always happens. Mary does not come to exalt herself but to lead us to Jesus. Always to Jesus.

“They came with haste and found both Mary and Joseph, and the baby was lying in the feeding trough. When they saw it, they publicised widely the saying which was spoken to them about this child. All who heard it wondered at the things which were spoken to them by the shepherds. But Mary kept all these sayings, pondering them in her heart.” – Luke 2:16-19, WEBBE

“We never give more honour to Jesus than when we honour his Mother, and we honour her simply and solely to honour him all the more perfectly. We go to her only as a way leading to the goal we seek – Jesus, her Son.” -Saint Louis Marie de Montfort

Most of us Christians were taught that if we ask God for something in prayer, we shall receive. But why is it that many of our prayers seem to be unanswered? Why do we ask and not receive?

I think that it is a dangerous thought to spread the idea that God will give us everything we ask. Why? Because it is not true. For even if God is good and God is powerful, He cannot and will not give us everything we ask.

Must a good father always give in to the wishes of his children? No. And it is the same with God. God, in His wisdom, knows what is best for His children. And because He loves them, He wouldn’t give them things that are not good for them. Even if they ask.

Let us remember some of the Bible verses that remind us about asking God:

“…delight yourself in the LORD,

and he will give you the desires of your heart.”

– Psalm 37:4, WEBBE

“Most certainly I tell you, whatever you may ask of the Father in my name, he will give it to you. Until now, you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be made full.” — John 16:23–24, WEBBE

“Which of you fathers, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, he won’t give him a snake instead of a fish, will he? Or if he asks for an egg, he won’t give him a scorpion, will he? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him?” — Luke 11:11–13, WEBBE

In the first Bible passage, we are told that the Lord will give us the desires of our hearts if we delight ourselves in the Lord. It means that we must first align our desires with the will of God.

In the second quoted verse, we are told to ask in the name of Jesus. And what does it mean to ask in His name? What does the name of Jesus stand for? It stands for truth, for purity, for wisdom, for love and for every good thing. That is the perspective in which we are to ask. For how could we ever dare to ask for anything evil in His name?

Lastly, we are reminded that asking God is like asking a good father, a father who will not give bad things to his children. Were we not also assured that the Father will give us the Holy Spirit if we only ask?

Let us never feel frustrated whenever we feel our prayers are not answered. Let us trust instead that God hears us and that He loves us so much. Does He not know the deepest cries of our hearts? And will He deprive us of anything that would be for our eternal good?

God is so good that even His silence is filled with wisdom and His “no” is better than our grandest desires.