Category: Spirituality

Have you ever experienced those times when no matter how hard you prayed, there was no answer to your prayer?

It’s one of the most difficult times you’d ever have.

Most of the time, we can resort to either despair or stubbornness. It’s either we lose all hope or we try to force a miracle into happening.

What we forget is that there is another way.

When there is no answer, we can respect the silence of God.

We don’t need to exhaust ourselves as though the answer to our prayer depends upon our strength alone.

We can instead let things be. We can instead accept that by ourselves, we can do nothing.

We can be still, and we can be still in faith.

Yes, faith that believes in God’s mercy and love. Faith that trusts His wisdom and His power.

We can have this steadfast and silent faith as we wait.

When there is no answer, let us be patient still for God’s reply.

Does He not hear the cries of His children? Will He not come for His little ones?

Our faith may be little, but if we keep it and if we continue to trust, this faith may yet be all we need to move the mountains standing in our way.

“For most certainly I tell you, if you have faith as a grain of mustard seed, you will tell this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.” – Matthew 17:20, WEBBE

“Lead me, O God, along whatever roads You please; I have placed all my trust in Your will which is, for me, love and mercy itself. Bid me to stay in this convent, I will stay; bid me to undertake the work, I will undertake it; leave me in uncertainty about the work until I die, be blessed; give me death when, humanly speaking, my life seems particularly necessary, be blessed. Should You take me in my youth, be blessed; should You let me live to a ripe old age, be blessed. Should You give me health and strength, be blessed; should You confine me to a bed of pain for my whole life, be blessed. Should you give only failures and disappointments in life, be blessed. Should You allow my purest intentions to be condemned, be blessed. Should You enlighten my mind, be blessed. Should You leave me in darkness and all kinds of (24) torments, be blessed. From this moment on, I live in the deepest peace, because the Lord Himself is carrying me in the hollow of His hand. He, Lord of unfathomable mercy, knows that I desire Him alone in all things, always and everywhere.” – St. Faustina, Divine Mercy In My Soul 1264

“He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in their hearts…” – Ecclesiastes 3:11, WEBBE

Today, whatever you may be going through, try to see things in the light of eternity and of God’s love.

In the light of eternity, all your troubles are passing away. All your tears will soon be wiped away. In the light of eternity, all our sufferings are short and would soon give way to joy, a joy that never ends.

This is not yet our home, because our home is in heaven. But here, while on our journey, we can still find comfort in each other’s company. Here, we can be friends. We can fight the battles that would yield for us eternal rewards. Here below, we can show how deeply we can love. We can love without looking for anything in return. We can love silently, patiently, wholeheartedly. We can love amidst all pain. We love beyond all our temporary trials.

So whatever may happen today, think about the eternal days God can bestow upon you. Think about that time when you can recover even more than what you have lost. Think and imagine looking back to your present. Though it’s hard and it’s lonely, there is never a time when you’re not covered by the love of God. Love is the only thing that will remain, and love will prove itself victorious above all.

“Let nothing disturb you,
Let nothing frighten you,
All things are passing away:
God never changes.
Patience obtains all things.
Whoever has God lacks nothing;
God alone suffices.”
? St. Teresa of Avila

“The Lord said to me, The loss of each soul plunges Me into mortal sadness. You always console Me when you pray for sinners. The prayer most pleasing to Me is prayer for the conversion of sinners. Know, My daughter, that this prayer is always heard and answered.”
– Divine Mercy In My Soul, 1397

This entry from St. Faustina’s diary has made me realize many things. It has urged me to reflect very deeply about God’s love for us.

We’ve been too familiar with God’s wrath. As sinners, we fear God’s justice.

It is His mercy that we must learn about more. Mercy that comes from His Love. After all, God is Love.

When I read the above excerpt, it reminded me that even God can be sad, and He can be sad for souls who are lost.

This is a mystery. For how could Jesus, who is in heaven, and who is supposed to be in eternal joy even become sad?

But when we remember that God is Love, we can also come to realize that love is like that. Love wills for what is good. Love wills for life, not death. Love rejoices for the beloved’s good and weeps for the beloved’s fall.

No one is mightier or stronger than God. Yet even God has allowed Himself to weep for the sake of love.

“Mary arrived where Jesus was, and as soon as she saw him, she fell at his feet. ‘Lord,’ she said, ‘if you had been here, my brother would not have died!’

Jesus saw her weeping, and he saw how the people with her were weeping also; his heart was touched, and he was deeply moved. ‘Where have you buried him?’ he asked them.

‘Come and see, Lord,’ they answered.

Jesus wept. ‘See how much he loved him!’ the people said.”

– John 11:32-36, GNT

God is eternal good. God is light. God is love. God hates darkness. God hates evil. God grieves for what is bad. God rejoices for what is good.

And since God has always existed… And since God was the same from the very beginning… He has since grieved for all who will ever be lost and has rejoiced for all who will ever be found.

He is present at all times. He is there in our past, He is with us now, and He will always be where we are.

He loves at all times. Love that gives whatever is good. Love that wills for life to exist. Love that gives us dignity and freedom.

Love is beautiful and the mystery of love is something we could never fully grasp for all eternity.

Why love must give room for suffering and why love must shine in times when it is darkest. Why love must fall so it can rise anew. Why love must be patient. Why love must enter times of danger in order to show its courage.

We can never fully understand, though we can somehow see.

How love warms us and gives meaning to our lives as only love ever can. As only God can.

And so even if we do not understand, we trust. Even if we struggle, we hold on. Even if we are at the point of breaking… we believe.

I think every person has a story about one’s heart being broken. It need not be from a romantic relationship. But it certainly comes from having one’s longings crushed.

What was it that tore your heart into pieces? What was it that made you cry?

Was it a friendship that wasn’t able to support you in times when you needed it most? Was it a person you loved who betrayed your sincerity? Was it a dream that seemed so far away no matter how hard you tried to reach it?

Most of our hearts are broken. We grieve the present when it’s no longer as fulfilling as the past. We grieve the past the we’ve forever lost. We grieve for the future we could never seem to control.

We dream, we strive, and we love. We try with all our might but we fail to succeed each time. We expect the best from people only to have our hopes dashed in the end.

When will our longings ever be fulfilled? How could our broken hearts ever be healed?

Wherever you may be, and however your heart may ache, I’d like you to know that there is One who can help you. Yes, there is One who loves you and who will never let you down. You may have heard about Him. You may not even believe He exists. Perhaps you may even hate Him. But I want you to try again. He has been pursuing you all along. Won’t you give God the chance to heal your broken heart?

“The LORD is near to those who have a broken heart,
and saves those who have a crushed spirit.”
– Psalm 34:18, WEBBE